At the gates of Brisighella stands the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, part of the former convent of the Franciscan friars of the Osservanza, founded in 1518.
A simple three-arch portico leads to the church through an early 16th-century oak door, surmounted by a terracotta lunette. Inside is preserved a notable Compianto su Cristo morto in terracotta by the Brisighella artist Giuseppe Rossetti, known as Il Mutino. The building was already restored in the 17th century, giving it a Baroque configuration, with a single nave flanked by open chapels, and stucco decorations guiding the eye toward the presbytery.
In the apse area stands a magnificent wooden choir, topped with white and gold stucco decorations of saints, framing the altarpiece Madonna with Child on a throne, between three angels and four saints and the lunette God the Father among the angels, created in 1520 by Marco Palmezzano, a master of the Romagna Renaissance.
Also noteworthy are the sacristy, the refectory, the upper floors with the library and ceramics exhibition, and the cloisters of the former convent, all examples of Franciscan architectural sobriety. The courtyard hosts events and cultural festivals during the summer season.
Open by appointment or during events and cultural activities.
