Piazza Malpighi, 9 – 40123 Bologna
sanfrancescobologna.biblioteca@gmail.com
Creativity for Knowledge
The Officina San Francesco is a cultural group born within the homonymous Library, located in the monumental complex of the 13th-century Franciscan settlement in Bologna. The term officina evokes the medieval concept of work and production, even in the cultural sphere, and highlights a collective working method. In this context, everyone participates in the creative process, sharing skills and knowledge in a continuous exchange.
The Franciscan reference recalls, on one hand, the Basilica and Convent of San Francesco in Bologna, with their rich cultural tradition that inspires the activities of the Workshop; on the other hand, it expresses the will to make culture in service. Since its origins, the friars have successfully dedicated themselves to disciplines such as science, politics, economics, law, music, and literature, not in pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, but as a tool for human well-being and happiness.
The OSFB currently consists of four sections:
- Art and Architecture – Alfonso Rubbiani (1848–1913), a Franciscan tertiary, was the principal architect of the restoration and the revival of the 13th-century church at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
- Literature and Philosophy – Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) visited Bologna at various stages of his life, establishing an intense dialogue with the city and its culture.
- Music – Father Giambattista Martini (1706–1784), a Bolognese Conventual Franciscan, music historian, and composer, was the chapel master at San Francesco in Bologna from 1725 until his death.
- Studies on the History of Franciscans – Brother Bernardo of Quintavalle (?–1241), the first companion of Francis of Assisi, arrived in Bologna in 1211 on his behalf, bringing with him the propositum vitae, the first synthesis of the Franciscan charism, which here engaged with the university culture.
Each section organizes a series of activities throughout the year, including conferences and lectures, guided tours, and concerts. The recordings are made available on the YouTube channel of the Workshop itself.
The most significant contributions, along with other in-depth analyses in the same fields, are published annually in Artes. Journal of Art, Literature, and Music of the Officina San Francesco Bologna, an open-access online journal (Open Access – OA), created in collaboration with the Departments of Art, Italian Studies, and Classical Philology of Alma Mater – University of Bologna.