<p>On the first floor of the church you find this splendid Oratory, which has been recently restored in order to be opened to the public. It is the unique example of the local Baroque style. Once it was seat of the Confraternita dei Battuti and thanks to its excellent acoustics it is the ideal place for praying, as well as for songs and acting performances. The walls and vaults of the large room are completely decorated by paintings and frescoes in the Baroque style. The most amazing work is the Death of the Virgin by Alfonso Lombardi (1479 - 1537), a group of 15  nearly life-size earthenware statues. It represents the group of the twelve Apostles around the Virgin's tomb. A Judean is trying the knock over the tomb in order to show his contempt, arousing the indignation of the Apostles, but an Angel stops him from acting.
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<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/127226743@N02">Dimitris Kamaras</a> from Athens, Greece
CC BY 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127226743@N02/26682006495/">Oratorio dei Battuti, Santa Maria della Vita, Bologna</a>