Does anyone know if Bologna's Santo Stefano church has an audio guide for rental or guided tours? I would like a guide for this 7 church complex in Bologna rather than trying to figure it out but I cannot seem to find a Santa Stefano website in English. I did find that it is open 8-7pm so that is good :-)
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
The official Santo Stefano website appears to only address religious visits (mass, confession, study, etc.). I did notice that Viator, a reseller of tours, does show 2 tours that include Santo Stefano. One is billed as a private tour, so perhaps it could be customized to spend extra time at Santo Stefano and less at the other 2 churches.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Yes I did find the 2 hour viator option. I was hoping that the church might have one. I loved the one at St. John Lateran in Roma. It's excellent. Thanks for the reply.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
If no one responds with a definitive answer, you might contact the Bologna tourist information office and ask them. Their e-mail is [email protected]. Not sure whether it's a city or private agency, but their office is located right on the main square.
Posted by
Vancouver, WA
525 posts
Definitely check in with the Bologna tourism office on Piazza Maggiore or online at bolognawelcome.com (you could email or call with your question). They offer a great walking tour of Bologna, as well as many other tours in Bologna and the surrounding area. We found great information here when we visited in April, so I am sure that they could help you with Santo Stefano. (I believe there may be phone-like audio guides where you drop in one or two Euros and listen to narration in your choice of language.)
Posted by
seattle
2147 posts
Wikipedia has a good detailed description of the history of the complex. The complex is one of my favorite sites in Bologna.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Thank you for the Bologna Tourism Office Tip. They answered the question:
I'm glad to inform you that in the Basilica of San Petronio there are fixed audio guides (the "phone" model) available for the tourists in several languages at the price of €1,00; there are two types: one for the Basilica in general and one specific for the Bolognini Chapel.
Unfortunately, audio guides are not available for the Santo Stefano complex. If you are interested in a guided tour, we may organize one for you with a professional English-speaking tour guide, including Santo Stefano and the main monuments of the city center.
Otherwise, here you can find some information in English about churches in Bologna:
You can find free audio guides about Bologna in our website, at the following link:
https://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/home/discover/itineraries/culture/audio-guides/
Best regards,
Beatrice Foschi
Visitors Information Center
T +39 051 65 83 122
M +39 338 78 14 365
Posted by
Vancouver, WA
525 posts
So great that the Bologna TI office is willing to work with you to include Santo Stefano in a tour! We went on the general Bologna tour this spring; the guide had a great sense of humor, strong knowledge of local history, and great suggestions for dining. If you do a tour, ask if they can include Santa Maria della Vita--it was included on our tour, and one particular art installation was quite moving.