Built on an antique Roman construction around 875, it has undergone various transformations in Romanesque style. Towards the end of the 15th century, the cathedral's style was adapted to the architectural canons of the time. Prospero Sogari, called Clemente, was the sculptor who looked after the work which, however, remained incomplete. His works include the statues portraying Adam and Eve found on the central door, while on the sides, between the marble strips which cover the façade's median surfaces, within the niches, are the Saints Crisanto and Daria, and the Saints Venerio and Gioconda, completed by Clemente and his workshop between 1572 and 1580. The statue of the Madonna and Infant with the Fiordibelli husband and wife (benefactors) dominates on the front of the tower. Made of gold embossed copper plate, it is a goldsmith's work of art made by an artist of exceptional talent, Bartolomeo Spani from Reggio (goldsmith, sculptor, architect, who lived between the 1400's and the early part of the 1500's). The entire Duomo preserves chapels covered in valuable, finely sculptured marbles. The sepulchre of Orazio Malaguzzi (on the right of the entrance), by Clemente, is particularly remarkable. The funeral monument of Valerio Malaguzzi (1510), made by Bartolomeo Spani, is of particular interest (3rd chapel on the right). Imposing on the other side is the sepulchre of Rangoni ( by Clemente) in the last chapel (on the right-hand side) next to the choir. Inside the Cathedral, the crypt, whose construction dates back to the 12th or 13th century, is of notable value. The architecture is arranged in cross vaults, supported by 42 columns with fragmentary capitals, most of them date back to the 15th century (two show the date 1491), but some are older. The oldest part is at the altar, containing the sarcophagus with the bodies of the Martyred Saints, Crisanto and Daria. A general restoration took place in 1923. During the restoration work was found a considerable fragment of Romanesque flooring (a mosaic from the 3rd-4th century), which leads from the crypt to an underground room through a flight of steps. Geometric figures and animals, including a deer at a spring, can be distinguished in the mosaic. The crypt is formed of three chapels: inside the chapel in the centre is the sepulchre of the martyrs Crisanto and Daria, the chapel on the right is dedicated to soldiers killed in war and was decorated by A. Govi in 1923; a short flight of steps leads beneath this chapel to the Bishops' tomb; in the left-hand chapel is a bas-relief depicting two Magi Kings (13th century), which was used as the tombstone of Bishop Enrico Casalorci (+1312) who is depicted on the other side.

The Basilica and tower of San Prospero form an extraordinary scenic background when entering the town's most characteristic square where the traditional market takes place (Tuesday and Friday in the morning). When filled with stalls the space enclosed between the Cathedral apse, and the façades and arcades of sober palaces are brought alive. The interior of the Basilica is arranged in three naves in a Latin cross with a large dome. In the absidal bowl-shaped vault you can see the series of frescoes by Camillo Procaccini (artist from Bologna) depicting the "Last Judgement". With its refined craftsmanship, the valuable wooden choir stall (by the De Venetiis brothers in 1546), inlaid with country scenes, still lifes, city scenes, constitutes a masterpiece in the art of inlaying and marquetry which developed in Reggio Emilia from the middle of the 1400s. Six large columniferous lions from the beginning of the 1500s decorate the parvis, forming a valuable single group; they are attributed to Gaspare Bigi. Their original purpose is not absolutely clear.

The construction of the Basilica is linked to the miracle which occurred on 29 April 1596 when the young Marchino, deaf and dumb from birth, was miraculously given the powers of speech and hearing while praying before an image of the Madonna painted by Bertone. In that spot, to the left of the church, today there is a marble memorial. The church's design is attributed to the Architect, Alessandro Balbi from Ferrara; it was built by Pacchioni Francesco from Reggio, who began construction in 1597. A peculiarity of the Basilica is the extraordinary series of frescoes and altar pieces executed by the best artists of 17th century Emilia: Ludovico Carracci, Gianfrancesco Barbieri (Il Guercino), Lionello Spada, Alessandro Tiarini, Carlo Bononi and Luca Ferrari. The art guilds made valuable contributions: the stoup from the wool and silk craft guilds; the Municipality commissioned a work from Guercino which is held to be his masterpiece: the "Crucifixion of Christ with, at his feet, the Madonna and the Saints, Mary Magdalen, St. John and St. Prospero". Not to be missed: the room holding the holy vestments and fabrics from the 16th to the 19th century; the Ghiara's treasures are composed of relics, monstrances, chalices, highly valuable votive offerings. Finally, the museum in which, among the precious items on show, there is Lelio Orsi's original design which inspired Bertone's fresco, and the crown donated by the Reggio Civic Committee to the Madonna.

The building which houses the gallery was built for this purpose to a design by the engineer, Ascanio Ferrari. In 1932 Luigi Parmeggiani put together an art collection, including arms and goldsmithery originating from a Paris workshop of the second half of the 1800's, specialized in Medieval style objects, paintings and sculptures. Of particular note, the following are exhibited: a Flemish triptych attributed to Van Eyck, "Il Cristo benedicente" (the blessing Christ) by El Greco. The other rooms are arranged according to the types of objects displayed.

Built between 1740 and 1741 on a design by Antonio Cugini and destroyed in 1851 by a fire, it was originally called the "Teatro di Cittadella" (the Cittadella Theatre) since it stood near the ancient defensive bulwark required by the Gonzaga family (at the end of 1339) during their rule of Reggio Emilia. It was rebuilt in 1878 respecting the original project and dedicated to Ludovico Ariosto, the great poet born in Reggio Emilia in 1474. It hosts mainly theatre performances.
The reconstruction of 1878 followed the "politeama" concept, that is, a theatre which can be used both for theatrical and equestrian events. According to the London and Paris models borrowed by all the Italian "politeama", the theatre had a cast iron structure; the cavea took on a semi-circular form; the box arrangement, maintained for the second tier, was replaced in the first and third tiers by single galleries. The orchestra pit was added in 1927 and the structures required for the equestrian shows were removed. At the same time the Theatre was completely redecorated by Anselmo Govi with late Art Nouveau style frescoes: the ones on the dome are particularly interesting, depicting the adventures of Orlando Furioso, and surrounded by a band citing the opening verses of the poem. In 1981 the Theatre underwent a series of restoration works: cleaning, demolition of precarious areas, strengthening or rebuilding of the floor structures (the stage first of all), and the laying of new flooring.

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