Our history
A history through the centuries
The present Orthodox Church of Saint Basil the Great preserves a history spanning almost six centuries: from the ancient church dedicated to Saint Anne to the foundation and development of the Orthodox community in Bologna.
1435
The origins: the Church of Saint Anne
In ancient times, the church was dedicated to Saint Anne, mother of the Mother of God, and was founded in 1435 by the then Bishop of Bologna, Cardinal Niccolò Albergati.
The Cardinal established the church as the city dependency of the Carthusian Fathers, the religious order to which he himself belonged. From the King of England he had received, for having mediated peace after the Hundred Years' War with France, a relic of great value: the head of Saint Anne, which was placed in the new church he had founded.
1716
The Baroque transformation
In 1716 the church was completely renovated in the Baroque style and decorated with frescoes depicting allegories of the Theological Virtues. The Bolognese painter Gioacchino Pizzoli executed the frescoes, while the paintings, now preserved in the Pinacoteca of Bologna, were painted by Alessandro Tiarini.
19th century
From closure to abandonment
At the beginning of the 19th century, the church was closed as a consequence of the Napoleonic suppressions. The relic of Saint Anne was then transferred to the Cathedral of Saint Peter. From that time, the church remained abandoned for many decades and was eventually used by the Municipality as a storage facility for tar and salt for snow-clearing vehicles.
1973
The foundation of the Orthodox church
In October 1973, Father Evloghios, hegumen of the Moscow Patriarchate and already the founder of the Orthodox community in Milan, requested and obtained the Church of Sant'Anna dei Certosini from the Municipality of Bologna. Here he founded the first Orthodox church in Emilia-Romagna, dedicating it to Saint Basil the Great in memory of the presence in medieval Bologna of Greek Basilian monks.
1975–2013
Father Mark and the arrangement of the church
In September 1975, Father Mark Davitti returned from the United States and was entrusted with the pastoral care of the church. In the spring of 1976, the sanctuary and iconostasis were arranged at the far end of the church, and many icons were painted and, through Divine Providence, brought to the church; they remain here to this day.
Since 1998
The development of the community
In 1998, after a period within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the church returned to the canonical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The following years saw renewed growth of the community, with the arrival of many Orthodox faithful of different nationalities, especially from Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Serbia, etc.).
The Altar of the Holy Wonderworkers
During this new period of development, a side altar was established in honour of the Holy Wonderworkers Nicholas, Spyridon, Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov and John of Kronstadt, with an iconostasis recalling the Baroque style of the church's architecture.
2013
Father Serafim
After 40 years of pastoral leadership of the parish, Father Mark departed this life. He was succeeded as parish priest by Hieromonk Serafim (Valeriani), who was already serving as a cleric of the church. Under his pastoral care, the church has undergone important restoration and renewal works, as well as the acquisition of the premises for the new parish hall.
The community today
Saint Basil today
Today, the Church of Saint Basil, together with many other new Orthodox churches, seeks, with dignified and humble simplicity, to contribute to the spreading of the Kingdom of Christ, always trusting in the help of Divine Providence.
