Ariadne's Thread: Guide ~ Italy ~ Bologna ~ Basilica of San Petronio. Demons of the series “Damien”: frescoes of Bologna, Padua and medieval engravings in the continuation of “Omena City of St. Petronius on the map of Italy”

Basilica of San Petronio - La Basilica Di San Petronio. Located on the square Piazza Maggiore This Gothic basilica, the fifth tallest in the world, was begun in 1390 and remains formally unfinished to this day. Upon learning that the building was supposed to be larger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Pius IV stopped construction... Inside the cathedral - relics of Saint Petronius, patron saint of the city and unique 15th-century fresco depicting a scene from Dante, where the Prophet Muhammad was thrown into hell. In 2002, Islamic terrorists wanted to blow up the building and destroy the fresco, but the attack was prevented. Now there are metal detectors and security guards in front of the entrance to the cathedral. Also inside - meridional line of the sundial, which stretches 67 meters - the longest in the world, and burial of Napoleon I's sister, Eliza Bonaparte. The interior of the basilica can accommodate about 28 thousand people!

The initiator of the construction of a new big temple For the growing city in 1390, the Council of Six Hundred, that is, the city authorities, came forward. To clear the place for the construction of the cathedral, it was necessary to demolish the towers, personal buildings of the townspeople and eight small churches. Construction began already in 1390, the city entrusted the project to the architect Antonio Di Vincenzo. The plan of the three-nave basilica contains a Latin cross. Gothic vaults rest on ten pilasters with high capitals. The space is divided horizontally by side chapels.

After the completion of work on the facade, in 1393, the creation of the side chapels began, completed in 1479. Most of the chapels (22 of them) were decorated in the 15th-16th centuries. In 1514, Arduino Degli Arriguzzi proposed a new plan for the church - according to his idea, it should have the shape of a Latin cross at the base, in order to surpass St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It was to become one of the greatest churches, measuring 208 meters in length and 142 meters in diameter. However, after the intervention of Pope Pius IV - and Bologna was part of the Papal State at that time - the size of the cathedral was reduced. In 1538, the cladding of the walls and then the facade began according to the design of Domenico Varignana. His façade project caused a lot of controversy; many famous architects submitted their drawings to the competition (these drawings are now kept in the temple museum). The lower part of the facade is made of red Verona marble and white Istrian stone. The upper part of the façade was not covered.

Nowadays the length of the basilica exceeds 130 meters, the height of the vaults is 45 meters. San Petronio - no Cathedral, although it is often called the main church of the city due to its great significance. Currently, the cathedral bears the title of “small basilica” (Basilica Minor). Among the Catholic churches that have survived to this day, the cathedral ranks 15th in size and fifth in height.

Decorative work in the central part of the basilica was carried out under the direction of Girolamo Reynaldi in 1646 -1658. But they were interrupted in 1659 and were not completed. But work on the design of the building’s façade continued until the creation of new side portals designed by the architect Jacopo Della Quercia. However, then they too were stopped. Despite the involvement of several famous architects, including Baldassare Peruzzi, Andrea Palladio, Giacomo Barozzi Da Vignola, the façade of the building is still not finished. Construction was interrupted in 1759.

The external decorations are also made in the Gothic style, mainly by Giovanni Da Modena, as well as by the masters Parmigianino, Giulio Romano and Masaccio.

At the beginning of the 15th century (1426 - 1438), Jacopo Della Quercia decorated the main entrance (portal) to the cathedral with sculptures, and two small side doors with images based on the Old Testament motif (naked Adam and other figures placed on a rectangular bas-relief, including a sculptural group representing the Virgin and Child, Saint Petronius and Saint Ambrose). Michelangelo called Our Lady of the Della Quercia portal “the most beautiful Our Lady of the 15th century.” It is believed that it was the reliefs of Della Quercia in Bologna that marked the beginning of the Renaissance in the art of sculpture.

The side portals were made in 1524 - 1530 according to the design of Ercole Saccadenari. Many other artists took part in the design of the side portals, including Tribolo and Alfonso Lombardi. Windows open in the side facades, illuminating the chapels. Among them is the Chapel of St. Abbondio, restored in the Gothic style in 1865 (it was here that the coronation of Charles V took place in 1530. Charles V was crowned there to rule the Holy Roman Empire, and his coronation to rule Italy took place in the Palazzo Comunale); Chapel of St. Petronius, where in 2000 the relics of St. Petronius, patron of the city and rector of the cathedral in the 5th century, were moved from the Cathedral of Santo Stefano); the oldest chapel of the Madonna of Peace with a sculpture of Our Lady, made in 1394; the Magi Chapel with a wooden triptych altar with 27 figures carved from wood and painted by Jacopo Di Paolo, as well as stunning wall paintings; and other chapels of noble families of the city with rich altars and sculptures. Napoleon I's sister, Elisa Bonaparte, is buried in the Basilica of San Petronio.

To the right (above the 11th chapel) rises the bell tower (built 1481 - 1495). According to Bolognese tradition, there are 4 bells on it. The cathedral crypt contains one of the oldest known "triumphal cross groups" - it was created between 1160 and 1180. Notable are the amazing wooden choirs created in the 15th century by Agostino De Marchi, and the monstrance is the creation of Jacopo Barozzi Da Vignola. The canopy over the main altar was made in 1547 by the master Giacomo Barozzi.

In the 17th century, the Basilica of San Petronio was widely known for the instrumental and choral music that was performed within its walls. There are still two separately installed organs (epistolary organ F-a 3 and gospel organ C-c 4). One of the two organs of the cathedral, created in Tuscany in the second half of the 15th century, is considered the oldest in the country (he is on the right). It was created in 1475 by the master Lorenzo Di Giacomo from Prato. The organ on the left dates back to the 16th century. It is by Malamini (1596). Both organs have survived to this day in their original condition.

The cathedral of paintings houses such paintings as “The Mystical Wedding of St. Catherine” by Filippino Lippi, “The Consecration of Christ with Four Saints” and “Pieta” by Amico Aspertini, as well as works by Giovanni Da Modena (early 15th century, “The Last Judgment”, “ Episodes from the Life of Saint Petronius", "The Way of the Magi", fourth chapel). Also interesting are the works of Giulio Romano, Parmigianino (1527, “Saint Roch,” eighth chapel), Lorenzo Costa (1492, “Our Lady Enthroned,” seventh chapel) and Vignola.

The basilica served as a workroom in the 1660s for the famous medieval astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini. In 1665, according to his calculations, the “meridian of Giovanni Cassini”, the meridional line of a sundial, 66.8 meters long, was installed here in the left side aisle. Due to the height of the basilica, the scientist’s measurements were amazingly accurate for his time. The meridian, rather, is not a clock, but a solar calendar - when sunlight falls on the meridian through a small hole in the roof of the basilica, the beam indicates the month and day.

The Basilica of St. Petronius was for a long time a communal property and was used for a variety of purposes: as a place for special events, for court hearings, for public meetings. Only in 1929, as a result of the Lateran Agreements, the cathedral became the property of the diocese. The solemn “final” consecration of the cathedral took place only in 1954.

In 2002, five men were arrested for planning to organize terrorist attack in the cathedral. And in 2006, the Italian police again managed to prevent a tragedy - then Muslim terrorists who wanted to destroy the basilica were captured because, in their opinion, the fresco inside insulted Islam. This fresco by Giovanni da Modena depicts a scene from Dante's Inferno where Muhammad is tormented by demons.

The cathedral is open to the public from 7.45 to 13.30 and from 15.00 to 18.00. Opening hours: from 7:30 to 18:45 from Monday to Friday and from 8:00 to 18:45 on weekends. The Treasury is open on Sundays from 15:30 to 17:30, admission is free. However, for security reasons, access can be stopped at any time - the basilica is guarded quite seriously.

It is rightfully considered the “university center” of the country. There is also a more amusing characteristic of the province - Smart, Red, Fat.

The city was described this way because of the considerable number of educational institutions on the territory, the color of the roofs of the buildings, and finally, for the delicious food prepared in local restaurants.

Italy is a country with centuries-old culture, rich nature, developed architectural skills, so almost every city in the country is famous for its sights. And our province is no exception! In the city of Bologna, tourists will see the following attractions.

The history of the University of Bologna dates back to the 2nd century, because it was founded in 1088. It is considered one of the largest and most famous European universities since the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, the University of Bologna was called Studium; scions of influential families from all over the world sought to study here. Globe. The university educated such scientific luminaries as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Paracelsus, Albrecht Durer, Dante Alighieri, and Salimbene of Parma who later became famous.

The University of Bologna has been considered one of the largest and most famous European universities since the Middle Ages

Gradually, university teachers, including Irnerius, began to specialize in law, and as a result, the legal theories cultivated here began to be accepted and used throughout the country.

From the 14th century The higher educational institution of the city of Bologna - a local university, in addition to law, organized the following faculties on its territory: astronomy, philosophy, medicine, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, grammar.

A little later, theology was included in the list of disciplines. Currently, the university consists of five institutions located in different parts of Italy. Therefore, there is no clear answer to the question of where the University of Bologna is located. The faculties of the higher institution teach students with a total number of about 85 thousand people, in the following cities: Bologna, Rimini, Cesena, and Forli.

Commit virtual tour you can tour the campus by watching the video:

Students are trained in areas such as jurisprudence, agricultural science, conservation cultural heritage, psychology, communications, politics, etc. The main building of the university is located on the street. Zamboni, no. 33, tel. +39 051.209.91.11 / 93.70. You can find out the details you are interested in about the University of Bologna by visiting the official website: www.unibo.it.

Temples

What else can you see in Bologna? In the Middle Ages, a considerable number of temples were erected on the territory of the city, each of which can rightfully be called an object of the country’s cultural heritage.

Basilica of St. Petronius

One of the largest temples in the world, located on central square Bologna - Maggiore. The basilica was built for quite a long time, over several centuries.

The construction of the original temple in the Gothic style began in the 14th century, and construction and decoration were completed only in the 17th century.

It is interesting that the church was built in the shape of an ancient Latin cross, among its creators are such famous architects as Andre Palladio, Giacomo Barozzi di Vignola, Antonio di Vicenza.

The Basilica of St. Petronius is located in Piazza Maggiore

The exterior of the church walls is also made in the Gothic style, famous for the strict geometry of the pattern. The inside of the cathedral is decorated with works by famous painters: “The Consecration of Christ with 4 Saints” by A. Aspertini, “The Mysterious Wedding of St. Catherine” by F. Lippi, “Madonna with Saints” by L. Costa Jr. and others.

Deserves special attention ancient relic 15th century, repeatedly subjected to assassination attempts.

This is a fresco with the Islamic saint Magomed, depicted, according to the plot of the picture, among the inhabitants of Hell, which religious Islamic fans who found themselves in Bologna tried to destroy.

What the Basilica of St. Petronius looks like inside - watch the video:

After the Middle Ages, the city of Bologna used the building of the Basilica of San Petronio for socio-political purposes, both the local court and the city council were located here.

Only in the 20s of the last century did prayer chants begin to sound in the church again.

You can visit the cathedral daily from 7-30 to 12-45 hours, and in the afternoon from 15 to 18 hours.

Monastic complex of Santo Stefano

St. Stephen's Cathedral consists of 7 buildings forming temple complex. According to legend, it was Saint Petronius, inspired by holy thoughts, who wished to reproduce the monuments to the seven main Jerusalem shrines.

The monastic complex of Santo Stefano consists of 7 buildings

Thus, the churches included in the San Stefano complex are named: Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Cathedral of John the Baptist, Church of the Holy Trinity, Cathedral of the Martyrs Agricola and Vitaly, the Court of Pilate and the Monastery. The visiting hours of the basilica, located in Piazza San Stefano, are similar to the opening hours of the Church of St. Petronius.

Temple of the Madonna of St. Luke

Built on a hill of about 250-300 m, “Guard Hill”. The name of the church comes from a work of art by St. Luke the Evangelist - Madonna and Child, brought to the city by a pilgrim from Greece.

The honorary burden was ordered to be raised to the Guard Hill, whose image appears on the icon, which was done.

The basilica was erected later, specifically to store the shrine.

The Temple of the Madonna of St. Luke was built on Guard Hill

The church is located outside the city; you can get to the cathedral by walking through a gallery of 666 arches, with a total length of about 4 meters, leading from the Saragossa Gate. The entrance ticket costs 10 euros.

What else to see in Bologna?

If you find yourself in the province of Bologna for a little more than 1 day, then be sure to explore the rest of the city’s relics and monuments. What can you see in Bologna in 2 or more days?
These are the city's world-famous museums, towers and palaces.

National Pinakothek

Stores the largest collections of works by Italian painters known throughout the world. The National Pinacoteca of Bologna offers tourists works of art created by the famous Titian, A. Coracci, L. Costa, G. Reni, Paramigiano, Raphael, on whose lives he left his mark Italian city Bologna.

The National Pinakothek houses the largest collections of works by Italian painters

The museum is located on Belle Arti street 56, open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except Mondays. Ticket prices range from 2 to 4 euros.

Archaeological Museum

Formed in the 19th century, in 1881. Famous for its exhibitions of archaeological origins from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic periods, as well as historical finds, raised from Etruscan and Gallic tombs. A considerable amount archaeological finds was provided to the museum by the University of Bologna and the artist P. Palagi.

Archaeological Museum of Bologna founded in the 19th century

Household items from the ancient Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks are collected here, as well as extensive collections of ancient awards and banknotes. Entrance to the museum is paid, the cost is 5 euros. You can view the local collections every Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Via Arciginascio, 2.

The largest of them is the tower, which once belonged to the Asinelli family and was named after the eminent family. The structure was built in defiance of the Garisendi family, who were at odds with the owners of the tower and built a similar high-rise building directly opposite. Rising above the city to a considerable height, it was created around 1120.

The Asinelli high-rise tower offers an excellent overview of the surrounding city of Bologna, so the structure was used as an observation tower.

Later, in the 15th century, a fortress building was added to the high-rise building, where trade flourishes today. A characteristic feature of the Tower is not only its height of about 100 meters and a staircase consisting of almost five hundred steps, but also its inclined location.

The famous leaning towers of Bologna

Being one of the “highlights” of the city of Bologna, the leaning towers of Asinelli and Garisendi seem to “look” at each other, tilting down. You can visit the high-rise building of the Asinelli clan every day, paying 3 euros, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer; in winter, visiting hours end an hour earlier. And the entrance to the Garisendi Tower is, alas, closed to tourists.

Palaces of Bologna

Bologna is famous for its palaces:

Flea markets

Bologna is famous not only a huge amount cultural historical sites, but also a fairly developed trade in the so-called “flea markets”. What can you bring with you as a souvenir from Bologna?

Visit your local retail outlets and be sure to pick up a memento:

Flea market Mercato Antiquario di Santo Stefano Bologna, Italy, is famous for its antiques trade. Antique frames for mirrors and photographs, dolls, bags, and lamps are sold here. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter and until 7 p.m. in summer, every 2nd weekend. Located on the square of the same name;
Mercado di Collezionismo market, also offers customers antiques, but it's more printed publications: magazines, newspapers, manuscripts. Open from 9 to 6 pm on Thursdays. Located in Piazza Villa Agosto;

At the flea market in Bologna you can buy antiques as souvenirs

flea Mercato del Vintage market, they sell antique hats, accessories, jewelry, sunglasses here every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
Market La Piazzola. They sell clothes here, as well as a variety of household items, paintings, and figurines. Trading is conducted on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the day. Ares: Piazza Villa Agosto.

And this is not an exhaustive list. known to the world sights, cultural, religious, architectural monuments and colorful shopping spots that a Bologna tourist can visit for the benefit of the mind, soul and heart!

If you are planning an Italian trip, be sure to visit this city with its rich cultural, religious, and simply colorful life.

Another story, mainly consisting of pictures, is dedicated to the large Bolognese church of San Giacomo Maggiore, a neighbor of the oratory of Santa Cecilia.

The church of San Giacomo Maggiore and the adjacent monastery were founded by Augustinian monks in 1267, the construction of the temple was completed by 1315, the apse was completed in 1343, and the church was consecrated in 1344. In 1804, the Augustinians were forced to leave the monastery, and the city conservatory settled there. In 1824, part of the monastery was returned to the Augustinians, but in 1860 they lost the monastery completely, remaining only custodians of the church.

San Giacomo Maggiore is a huge single-nave basilica with 35 chapels and is a transitional form from Romanesque to Gothic style. Of undoubted Gothic architecture, one can distinguish here the ambulatory, that is, a passage around the presbytery with a crown of chapels, a very rare occurrence in Italy. Most of the chapels were created already in the Renaissance.

Unfortunately, the Augustinians not only declare a ban on photography inside the temple, but also strictly control compliance with this ban. Therefore, I am again forced to resort to photographs from Wikimedia Commons - after all, some heroes sometimes manage to leave overly vigilant caretakers with their noses)))
Look for the tomb of Niccolo Fava (1438) by Jacopo della Quercia behind the presbytery. I clearly remember how darkness reigned there, and therefore a double, no, triple “thank you” to the hero for being able to photograph it well.

The most valuable thing in San Giacomo Maggiore is concentrated in the chapel of the Bentivoglio family, who ruled Bologna from 1401 to 1506. The family chapel was built in 1463-1468 according to the design of Pagno di Lapo Portigiani da Fiesole; researchers see the influence of Brunelleschi in the design.
In normal times the chapel looks like this:

That’s exactly how I looked at her through the bars on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. So that you don’t have to kiss the bars like me, I’m giving you a tip on vodka: the chapel is open to visitors only on Saturday mornings. The most annoying thing is that it was on Saturday, January 2, that I mainly studied Bologna, so I could very well see the chapel in person. But... In general, whoever owns the information owns the world; use it for your health.
The left wall of the chapel contains two frescoes by Lorenzo Costa, painted in 1490:

One of the frescoes is the Triumph of Glory (Trionfo della Fama)

The second is the Triumph of Death (Trionfo della Morte)

The back wall of the chapel is, among other things, an altarpiece by Francia and a fresco in the lunette by the same Lorenzo Costa:

On the right wall you can see Pala Bentivoglio- The Madonna with her family, Giovanni II Bentivoglio, is the work of Lorenzo Costa, as well as the terracotta monument to Annibale I Bentivoglio (you can read about it here: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annibale_I_Bentivoglio, there is also a good Russian version).

Annibale I was the son of the murdered Anton Galeazzo Bentivoglio, after several years of wandering in a foreign land, he returned to Bologna, managed to overthrow the then ruler Niccolo Piccinino and himself became the ruler of the city (1443), but already in 1445 he was killed by the conspirators. His son Giovanni II (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_II_Bentivoglio), upon reaching adulthood, began to rule Bologna (1463), but during the Italian war he was expelled from hometown by the combined forces of King Louis XII and Pope Julius II (1506). In 1511-1512, two sons of Giovanni II, Annibale II and Ermes (they are on the far right in the family portrait) managed to regain control of the city, fled again, and then tried to return several more times to no avail.

It must be said that, thanks to school history textbooks, we have a poor idea of the history of this part of Italy. They insisted on painting all of central Italy in the colors of the Papal States, so that it seemed to me that the popes had always ruled a stable great power. It turned out that Emilia-Romagna more or less calmed down only after the Italian wars; before that, almost every city had its own lords - only nominally papal vassals, constantly fighting with each other. The history of Bolognese Bentivoglio is a vivid example of this.

There is also a monument to Anton Galeazzo Bentivoglio (

January 29th, 2018

On New Year 2018 we found ourselves in northern Italy in the city of Bologna (regionEmilia - Romagna ). « Scientist, Red, Fat"(la Dotta, la Rossa, la Grassa) - this is what they call Bologna. “Red” for the red color of its roofs and walls, “Thick” for its delicious local cuisine(yes, by the way, the meat sauce for the Italian Bolognese pasta also comes from Bologna), and “scientific” - due to the fact that it was here that the first University of Bologna in Europe was founded in 1088, which still exists. Giovanni Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarch, Nicolaus Copernicus, Umberto Eco “gnawed at the granite of science” in it.
But we know more about the city because of the fabric of the same name for jackets and raincoats - bologna. This material was first produced here. It is curious that bologna was not popular in Italy itself. But Soviet fashionistas in the 60s/70s considered the Bologna raincoat a very stylish thing.
Remember, in Vysotsky’s song “Dialogue at the TV”: “...My friends may not be in Bolonia, but they don’t drag them away from their family...”

There are many versions of the origin of the city’s name - from the Latin Bononia (in particular, from bona omnia - “common good”). Most historians believe that the name of the city came from the name of the Celtic tribe, who captured the city in the 4th century BC.

The visiting card of the city is two leaning towers, originally from the Middle Ages (legends say that the local nobility loved to show off, and what could be surprising then, not carriages - so they ordered the construction of towers so that they were higher than their neighbor’s. But the calculations were incorrect, and the towers did not stand level , but deviated). Then there were almost 180 towers - not a city, but a forest!

In the city center there are two such towers - Asinelli and Garisenda.

On Asinelli, whose height is 97.2 m, with the upper part tilted by 2.2 m, you can climb a spiral staircase of 498 (!) steps. And we did it!

We looked at the city from a bird's eye view and were convinced that yes, indeed, Bologna is all red.))) In the center there are many preserved medieval buildings, palaces and churches.

Stands next to the towers statue of the city's heavenly patron - St. Petronius.

The largest square in the city is Piazza Maggiore . Once upon a time it was market Square- citizens sold, bought, dined and communicated. Now Piazza Maggiore is the “face of the city”; the facades of all the main architectural attractions of Bologna overlook here: the Cathedral of St. Petronius, the Palazzo Communale, the Palace of Notaries and the Palace of Banks.

Cathedral of St. Petroniusdedicated to the heavenly patron of the city - St. Petronius. The cathedral is the fifth largest church in Europe and the 15th largest catholic cathedral in the world.

San Petronio is not a cathedral, although it is often called the main church of the city due to its great spiritual significance.

The construction of the building began in 1390. The architect Antonio di Vincenzo was commissioned to build a gigantic cathedral in Bologna, which was supposed to surpass St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome in size. However, after the intervention of the Pope, the size of the cathedral was reduced.

Construction of the cathedral lasted several centuries. The façade of the building is still not finished.

Entrance to the Basilica of San Petronio is free, but you have to pay for the right to take photographs in the cathedral. A special ticker must be glued to a visible place.

Napoleon I's older sister, Eliza Bonaparte, was buried in the basilica. Bacciocchi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Her husband settled in Bologna after her death, burying her ashes here.

In 2000, the relics of St. Petronius were moved from the Cathedral of Santo Stefano to San Petronio.

The interior of the cathedral is made in white and red colors, the colors of the flag of Bologna.

The main attraction of the basilica- brass meridian, calculated with incredible accuracy by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1655. The length of the meridian line is 67.72 meters, exactly 600,000 part of the earth's meridian. This is the longest meridian in the world. The meridian is also a solar calendar, when sunlight hits the meridian through a small hole in the roof of the basilica, the month and day can be determined. Meridian was restored in 1925, confirming the accuracy of the design. On solstice days, it is clear that the location of the sun's ray does not correspond to the circles drawn along the edges of the Meridian line. This is the effect of changing the inclination of the Sun's ecliptic. The difference will increase until 11250 and then return to the marks written on the floor b Aziliks, by 18200.

It's amazing how equipment usually associated with religious functions was used for astronomical observations!

E another attraction- scandalous fresco by Giovanni da Modena « Ad"\"Last Judgment"created in 1410-12. The fresco is in the fourth left chapel, the entrance to it ispaid. With a ticket An audio guide is provided in several languages. F They are not allowed to photograph the fresco.

The fresco illustrates canto 28 from Dante's Divine Comedy. The fresco also depicts the Prophet Mohammed, tormented by devils. Dante writes: “Vedi come storpiatoè Maometto!” (Look how crippled Mohammed is).

For obvious reasons, the fresco is the object of increased attention from theologians and Islamist terrorists, who have repeatedly planned to blow up the Basilica of San Petronio(sic in In 2002, five al-Qaeda members were arrested who were planning to blow it up). So don’t be surprised that the entrance here is guarded by people with machine guns (though lately everything cultural monuments Italy under their heavy security!).

Disputes among church ministers and politicians do not stop. The Vatican's official response on this issue: “Fresco does not insult our Muslim brothers. She is not against Islam. It is impossible to interpret a work of art dating back to 1400 from a modern point of view.”.

Besides, in The Basilica of San Petronio has preserved two ancient functioning organs. One of them is Lorenzo's organ from Prato, the world's oldest surviving organ.

Now let's explore the area around the basilica and its many palazzos.

The oldest palazzo in this square is Palazzo del Podesta. It was built around 1200 and served as the meeting place for the Podesta, the city's top leader.

Soon the palace became too small for all the citizens participating in the work of the city council, so the Palazzo Re Enzo was added to it.

On the tower palazzo - Torre del Arengo, erected in 1453, there is the largest bell of Bologna, which once warned the inhabitants of Bologna of danger.

They say that if you stand under the arches at one end, you can hear what is being said in whispers at the other. That is, these walls have “ears” and they are very curious.)))

Palazzo d'Accursio(or Palazzo Comunale) is the mayor's office since 2008. Here is located Civic Art Collection, which contains paintings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century; Museo Morandi, where the works of Giorgio Morandi are collected and city library (Biblioteca Salaborsa).

The façade of the building is decorated with a portico and Madonna and Child, a terracotta sculpture by Niccolò dell’Arca (1478) in the upper section of the building.

Above the portal is a large bronze statue of the Bolognese Pope Gregory XIII (1580).

Opposite Palazzo Comunale - Palazzo dei Banchi,which was built in 1412 for the needs of city banks. Now there are shops here.

Built next to the Palazzo Comunale Palazzo Notaries(Palazzo dei Notai).

And although there are palaces here, as he says, for every taste, I “looked better” Palace of Trade(Palazzo Della Mercanzia), which is located next to the two leaning towers. This building is in the Gothic style, made of baked bricks, built according to the design Antonio DiVincenzo between 1384 and 1391. Previously, on the site of this palace there were buildings Customs. From 1811 to this day the building has been a residence Chamber of Commerce of Bologna.

Judges once read court rulings from a marble balcony.

E one more business card cities - Neptune Fountain on Neptune Square, into which Piazza Maggiore imperceptibly flows . They say that the fountain was under reconstruction for a long time, but now everything is working and the beauty is fantastic! The bronze statue of Neptune for the fountain was made by the famous Florentine sculptor Giambologna.

More than once in reviews this fountain was called erotic....

And it seems that it was not Neptune himself who put more effort into this, but the mermaids at his feet...

There are many legends about the fountain in the city. One of them states that before the exam, University students must walk around the fountain two times counterclockwise so that they can pass the exam.
Evening version and Neptune's shadow on the wall...

The largest Christmas tree in the city stands on the square!
!

Here's the evening version...
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Look closely, Neptune seems to be looking askance at Palazzo Di Re Enzo. The palace was built between 1244 and 1246 in the Gothic style as an extension of the nearby Palazzo Podestà. Then it was called simply Palazzo Nuovo - New Palace. It was intended to house the city magistrate - weapons and army equipment were stored on the first floor of the palace, and a covered staircase led to the portico of the second floor, where they managed to hold a city meeting only once.

The palace is also known as the Palace of King Enzo (King of Sardinia and stepson of Emperor Frederick II - Enzio), who was captured during the Battle of Fossalta (1249) and imprisoned in the Palazzo for twenty-three years, until death. He was kept here in a cage suspended from the ceiling, but despite this, they say, he impregnated half of Bologna.)))
Enzo's father, Emperor Frederick, grieved so much for his son that he more than once offered the residents of Bologna any wealth for his release. Once he promised Bologna so much gold that it would be enough to either gild all the walls of the city or build new ones - however, the proud Bolognese said their firm “no”. But in fact, Enzo’s life here was not bad at all - they only hung him in a cage at night so that he would not escape, and he even had his own staff of servants and his own cooks. I’m not even saying that women visited him regularly (during his imprisonment, they say, he had three daughters and a son).

And this Torre Lambertini tower on Piazza Re Enzo also belongs to the Enzo Palace complex.

To be continued...

To the west of Bologna, on the Sentry (Guard) Hill there is a church that is of great interest to pilgrims from many countries: after all, there is a miraculous icon painted, according to legend, by the Evangelist Luke himself.

Background

According to ancient legends, a lonely hermit pilgrim from Greece was on his way to Constantinople. Having met with the monks of Constantinople, the hermit received an assignment from them - to take the holy icon with the image of the Blessed Virgin to the Guard Hill. This icon was the most revered, because the author of this image, according to legend, was the Apostle Luke himself.

The pilgrim did not know where the hill was. Arriving in Rome, he began asking believers where the Guard Hill was. He was pointed to a suburb of Bologna, where the pilgrim went, carrying his precious icon.

This happened at the end of the 12th century. And to store the shrine, it was decided to build a church on the hill and name it after the icon - Madonna di San Luca.

History of construction

The construction of Madonna di San Luca began in the middle of the 12th century. when on the hill in 1160 a tiny chapel was first founded to store the icon (it was looked after by two devout women - the sisters Azzolini and Beatrice Guezi). A little later, in 1193-1194, a larger church appeared here.

Several centuries later, in 1480 the building became so dilapidated that it was decided to restore it. For this purpose, private donations were collected from among believers, and in 1481, a year after the start of the restoration, the building was completely renovated. On the walls of the gallery leading to the temple, you can see plaques with the names of those who made significant donations for the restoration.

A little later, a few years later, the Bolognese Augustinian nuns transferred to the Dominican monastic order, and especially for them, not far from the Basilica of Madonna di San Luca, the convent of St. Matthew was built; nuns from this monastery were entrusted with the care of the shrine and the church itself.

In 1433, the icon showed the first miracle: when, after many days of torrential rains that threatened to flood the city, priests with an icon in their hands walked through the streets of Bologna, the rain suddenly stopped. This event is referred to in documents as the “miracle of rain.” After this, interest in the church on the hill flourished.

The completion of the temple dates back to 1764-1765(under the direction of the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti). After 5 years, side galleries and stands were added to the main Baroque building, the facade of the temple was decorated (the work of Giovanni Giacomo Dotti) and work was done on the dome. In 1815, the altars were restored with marble (based on sketches by Angelo Venturolli), and work on the dome (restoration and decoration) was completed in the 20th century (1923-1950).

In 1874, the authorities of Bologna declared the Church of the Madonna di San Luca a national treasure, allocating funds for the restoration and maintenance of the basilica.

On the pages of our website you will also learn about the oldest university in the world, which existed back in the Middle Ages!
Did you know that Bologna has its own Leaning Towers? We'll tell you about this attraction of the city.

Description of the attraction

The architectural style of Madonna di San Luca can largely be defined as Baroque. The main part of the building is an oval tiburium(polygonal octagonal cylinder). The building is crowned by a large dome, and the pediment is supported by round pilasters.

Inside, the temple is shaped like an ellipse, and at the end of the main hall in the shape of a Greek cross is the Main Altar, Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Inside the Temple is decorated with frescoes on religious themes: in the main chapel there are frescoes by Vittorio Maria Bigari; the dome was painted by Giuseppe Cassiolli, and in other chapels you can see frescoes by Guido Renni, Giuseppe Mazza and other masters. The church is also decorated with sculptures - Bernardino Cametti worked on them (the statues of St. Luke and St. Mark are especially noteworthy).

The central place in the temple is, of course, given to the icon of the Virgin Mary with her Child. It is located on a low pedestal framed in silver and precious stones.

The icon is considered miraculous - the first miracle happened in the 15th century (“the miracle of rain”), and after that cases of healing from various diseases and ailments were described in the icon. There is another belief: standing at the icon, make three wishes - and they will certainly come true.

Once a year, before the fifth Sunday after Easter, the icon is taken out of the church, carried through the covered gallery, making a procession of the Cross, and pass it with prayers to.

And on the Feast of the Holy Ascension, the icon returns in a solemn procession to the Church of the Madonna or San Luca.

From Bologna (or rather, from the Zaragoza Gate) to the temple there is a covered gallery (the longest in the world), the length of which is about 3.5 kilometers. Part of the gallery is flat, flat, and part is high-rise, with steps. At the end of the 16th century (1586), the road inside the passage was paved with stone.

The gallery has 666 covered arches and the path ends at the gate of the Church of Madonna di San Luca. Church ministers consider this path to be very symbolic - they say, divine forces will always defeat devilish intentions.

This covered passage also has its own legend: if a pilgrim wants to atone for his sins, he needs to climb the covered gallery on foot, and only after covering the entire path in humility and silence will he be forgiven for all his sins.

Previously, until the 70s of the 20th century, a small ski lift led here; now those who want to get to the shrine travel this path on foot.

For those who find it difficult to climb on foot for a long time, A minibus runs between the city and the Church (the cost of the trip is 2.6 euros).

Legends

But was history as the guidebooks describe it to us? Historians have attempted to document the events of the 12th century, but they could not get a definite answer.

A document dating from the end of the 12th century was found in the Bologna archives, stating that Bolognese Bishop Gerardo Grassi commissioned the Guezzi sisters– Beatrice and Azzolina – caring for the miraculous icon, which he received from a Greek pilgrim named Teocle Kmnya.