 In 1710, Torelli was one of the founders of the "Accademia Clementina" in Bologna, and during his time there, Giuseppe Maria Crespi was a member.Torelli's pupils at the academy included the two brothers Ubaldo Gandolfi and Gaetano Gandolfi; his nephew, Giovanni Giorgi; Mariano Collina (died 1780); and Antonio Magnoni

He painted a "Martyrdom of St. Maurelius" for Ferrara Cathedral.He painted "St Vincent in the act of curing a lunatic woman" for the church of the Dominicans in Faenza.