The church houses 35 altars and chapels, adorned with artistic masterpieces. Among the most important works are: The Conversion of Saint Paul by Ercole Procaccini (1573), The Madonna with Child and Saints by Bartolomeo Passarotti (1565)—who signed his works with a drawing of a sparrow—and The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Innocenzo da Imola (1536). Also notable is the Saint Roch by Ludovico Carracci.
The Poggi Chapel, commissioned by Cardinal Giovanni Poggi, was designed and decorated by Pellegrino Tibaldi with frescoes on the life of Saint John the Baptist. In the choir stands the Bentivoglio Chapel, purchased by Annibale Bentivoglio in 1445 and soon renovated by Pagno di Lapo Portigiani da Fiesole. It contains one of Bologna’s most celebrated paintings: Madonna with Child Enthroned with Saints and Angels by Francesco Francia (1494). On the right wall, a canvas by Lorenzo Costa depicts the Bentivoglio family in adoration of the Virgin, while on the left, the same artist painted The Triumph of Fame and Death (1490).
Among the other notable chapels is the one featuring The Presentation at the Temple, a masterpiece by Orazio Samacchini (1575), and the Main Chapel, decorated with paintings by Tommaso Laureti.
Behind the Church of San Giacomo Maggiore lies the Oratory of Saint Cecilia, enriched by splendid frescoes created in 1506 by Amico Aspertini, Lorenzo Costa, and Francesco Francia.
