Leaving Piazza Garibaldi behind and strolling along Corso Prampolini, visitors reach the crossroads with Via IV Novembre, once called Strada del Pallamaglio. Here lies the heart of what is known as the Croce del Volterra (Volterra’s Cross): an urban intersection inspired by the scheme of the ideal city, on which Guastalla was designed. It is the point of origin of the town’s four main streets, each aligned with a cardinal direction and culminating in a church: the Concattedrale (Co-Cathedral) in the north, the Chiesa di San Carlo (Church of Saint Charles) in the south, the Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso (Church of the Most Holy Crucifix) in the west, and the Chiesa dei Servi (Church of the Servites) in the east. This scenographic layout was the work of Tuscan architect Francesco Capriani, known as Volterra, who drew up a city plan based on a “croce di strade” (a cross of streets). While doing so, he preserved the town’s original central plan, giving Guastalla the enduring appearance of a “votive city”, a form it has maintained from the 17th century to the present day.

CHIESA DI SAN CARLO o DELLE AGOSTINIANE - CHURCH OF SAINT CHARLES or CHURCH OF THE AUGUSTINIANS

The Church of Saint Charles (Chiesa di San Carlo) - also known as Chiesa delle Agostiniane, for its connection to the Augustinian nuns - was built in 1626, commissioned by Duke Ferrante II Gonzaga to fulfill a vow he had taken in 1618, hoping thereby to secure a place for one of his daughters in the adjacent convent of the Augustinians. Over time, the church suffered significant alterations at the rear, within the convent, particularly when the site was converted into a hospital. Today, the religious building is deconsecrated and serves as an archive exclusively for the town’s Municipality.

CHIESA DEL SANTISSIMO CROCIFISSO o DELLE CAPPUCCINE - CHURCH OF THE MOST HOLY CRUCIFIX or CHURCH OF THE CAPUCHINS

The Church of the Most Holy Crucifix (Croce del Santissimo Crocifisso) - also known as Chiesa delle Cappuccine, after the Capuchin nuns - was designed in 1653 by Antonio Vasconi, on land donated by the Duke. It was built to support the nearby cloistered convent of the Capuchins. Thanks to the saintly reputation of its founder, Sister Lucia Ferrari from Reggio Emilia, the church was richly decorated with contributions from the Gonzaga dynasty of Guastalla and the Farnese family of Parma. Sadly, the suppression of 1866 led to the dispersal of its contents, with the exception of a few pieces preserved in other churches or private homes in the town. The building’s changing functions over the centuries have partially altered the original arrangement of its interiors. Structurally, it is enclosed on three sides by adjoining buildings, with only its main façade left fully visible, facing east.

CHIESA DELL’ANNUNZIATA o DEI SERVI - CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION or CHURCH OF THE SERVITES

The Church of the Servites (Chiesa dei Servi) - also known as Chiesa dell’Annunziata (Church of the Annunciation) - was commissioned by the Servite Father Giulio Borromeo in 1600 consecrated in 1607. Damaged several times over the centuries, it was restored in the 18th century to a design by architect Antonio Filippi. Its façade, articulated with four pilasters topped by banded capitals, is crowned by an elaborate volute pediment, with a clock set at its center. The entrance portal features a stone frame surmounted by a curved pediment. To the north rises the bell tower, while the south side is enclosed by a concrete balustrade. Inside, the church is divided into three naves: a central aisle flanked by two side aisles with altars. At the crossing, a dome with a coffered ceiling rises, culminating in a lantern. The presbytery, elevated above the nave, ends with a deep choir that preserves Pietro Rotari’s 18th-century painting “L’Annunciazione” (The Annunciation), enriched by marble ornamentation by Ludovico Giudice. Other notable works include Giuseppe Maria Crespi’s altarpiece “I sette Santi Fondatori dell’Ordine Servita” (The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order) by Bolognese painter Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Giovan Battista Bolognini’s “La Madonna e i Santi” (The Madonna and Saints) by Giovan Battista Bolognini, and a “Santa Lucia” (Saint Lucy) attributed to Cesare II Gonzaga. The church also houses eleven remarkable scagliola altar frontals crafted by Giovanni Mazza,a priest from Carpi. 

The Church of the Servites (Chiesa dei Servi) is open to visitors on weekdays.