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We are at the foot of NETTUNO’S FOUNTAIN 1, called also "the Giant", one of Giambologna’s works, which dates back to the first half of the 16th century. From the side of Nettuno’s fountain we can enter the KING ENZO PALACE 2, so called because King Enzo, King of Sardinia, was held prisoner there for over 23 years. The building dates back to the first half of the 13th century and it was restored lot of times, the latest restoration, made by Rubbiani, dates back to the beginning of the century. |
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| In the same building there is the PODESTA'S PALACE 3, overlooked by the Arengo tower on the top of which there is the so called "Campanazzo", a historical bell thath has been ringing for 5 centuries on particular events regarding the town. It is quite peculiar the acustic effect under the vault, in fact it is possible to talk one each other staying at apposite corners without being heard by other people standing in the middle of the vault. |
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Going out from King Enzo Palace we are in the heart of the city, PIAZZA MAGGIORE.
Around the large square there are some of the most suggestive palaces among which the "TOWN COUNCIL" 4 the "NOTARIES" 5, overlooked by the imposing "SAINT PETRONIO'S BASILICA" 6, the most famous church in Bologna and one of the largest in the world. It was dedicated to the Archibishop, patron of the city. The church was planned by Antonio di Vincenzo at the end of 14th century; the unique front, which remained incompleted, presents in the lower part a marble basement on which there are 3 portals. The middle one was made by Jacopo della Quercia to whom are attributed also the architrave pillars bas-relief, the "Virgin with the Infant Jesus", in the lunette, and "Saint Petronio". The interior is in Gothic style.
There are as many as 22 chapels some of which preserve precious marbles, paintings and decorations.
If we move on the left side of the church we go through the "PAVAGLIONE PORTICO" 7, used once for the market and today it is one of the most favourite Bolognesi's walk destination.
In the Archiginnasio Street (at the number 2) there is the ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOWN MUSEUM 8 which collects important proofs of Villanoviana, Etruscan and Gallic civilization. On the ground floor there is a wide collection of gravestones, memorial stones and architectural fragments of the first century while on the first floor there are the most important collections of the museum. Going on towards the end of the Portico at Piazza Galvani we find the "ARCHIGINNASIO" 9, built by Terribilia towards the middle of the 16th century. It was the first seat of several university faculties which were moved to via Zamboni at the beginning of the 19th century, where they are still located today. Inside the Archiginnasio there is a square open gallery garden decorated with coats of arms and memories of people and events of University life.
Opposite the entrance there is "Santa Maria dei Bulgari's Chapel"; upstairs there is the town Library; of particular interest is also the Anatomic Theatre, projected in the 17th century, where the Academies of anatomy gathered there to dissect cadavers in public.
Turning on the left at the end of the portico, we are in via Farini; going through it up to Piazza Cavour we turn on the right into via Garibaldi and on the left we find "SAINT DOMENICO'S BASILICA" 10. The existing building is the result of changes undergone during the centuries. Inside there are very beautiful chapels among which those ones containing the Saint, the painter Guido Reni and King Enzo's remains. The sarcophagus keeping the Saint's body was made by Nicola Pisano, the cymatium was added by Nicolò dell'Arca in the 15th century; the angel on the right of the altar is by Michelangelo, the bowl-shaped vault of the apse was painted by Guido Reni. On the altar of the 7th chapel there is one of the late Guercino's paintings and in the twelfth (12th) on the presbytery left side one of Filippo Lippi's tablets. The altar of the high chapel was designed by Torreggiani; on the 22nd (twenty-second) altar we find Ludovico Carracci's "S. Raimondo di Pennafort"; the other two painter's works "S. Francesco" and "La Carità" are kept in the museum.
In "Piazza S. Domenico" we find, then, Rolandino dé Passeggeri's grave, buried with other five jurists, the two columns bearing Saint Domenico and the Madonna of the Rosary's statues.
Going farther via Garibaldi we find the wide and imposing grand staircase leading to the marvellous salous of the present Court House, former Ranuzzi-Ruini Palace, Baciocchi then; the pure classicism of the front is by Palladio. Notwithstanding time and events it is one of the best preserved palace in the city. Coming back to Piazza Cavour and turning on the right we are again in via Farini; going through it we get to PIAZZA MINGHETTI 11, where we find the famous Bolognese statist's statue; we go farther until there will be on the right a slope leading to "SAN GIOVANNI IN MONTE'S CHURCH" 12, an ancient building of the 13th century built on a previous religious building, enlarged later in the 15th century. The front was planned in 1474, but the pronaos keeping the symbolic "giannea" eagle dates back to the 16th century and it is by Nicolò dell'Arca. The church has got a lot Guercino, Costa and Giovanni da Modena's works as well the graves collection, commemorating nobles and politicians, distributed in the chapels and in the arcade, are of great artistic value.
Few steps farther on in via Farini and we are in via S. Stefano turning on the left immediately we are in the beautiful "Piazza S. Stefano"called also the "SEVEN CHURCHES'S SQUARE" 13, of which, however, only four are still left. They are widely restored and we enter the chief on called "Church of the Crucifix" which maintains the front, the aisles and the crypt of the Romanesque period; from here we enter the second one called "of the Calvario", the central templet of which keeps Saint Petronio's body; we enter then the third one "Saint Vitale and Saint Agricola's church" whose reconstruction dates back to the 11th century. We come back now to the "Calvario" one and we go aut from the "Courtyard of Pilato" under the portico of which there is the "Vezza Chapel", while from the opposite portico we enter the "Saint Giustina's Chapel". At the bottom of the courtyard there is the "Church of the Trynity", restored at the beginning of the century; attached to the Basilica there is one of the most considerable cloister of the Emilian Romanesque. Also the small museum has its seat here with some valuable pieces.
Going down along via S. Stefano we get to "PIAZZA DELLA MERCANZIA" 14 with the MERCHANTS' OPEN GALLERY, called formerly of the Carrobbio, where the custom-house had its seat. It was built in 1390 by Antonio di Vincenzo and was then restored many times; in the niches there are some gothic masters' sculptures.
From the small square we go on for a while until we arrive under the TWO TOWERS 15. They were built as a result of the quarrel between Asinelli and Garisenda; the two towers were erected in 1100; the tallest is the Asinelli tower (97.20 metres) and its 498 steps lead to the balcony from which you can enjoy a very suggestive view of the city. The Garisenda tower is 47 metres tall and was lowered two centuries after its construction for security reasons. From Piazza Ravegnana we take via Zamboni and we go through it for a short way until we get to Piazza Rossini where there is on the right "SAINT GIACOMO MAGGIORE'S CHURCH" 16, of romanesque style and rebuilt partly at the end of the 15th century. The interior, tipically of the renaissance, preserves real treasures, paintings, statues, frescoes, crucifixes of artists among whom Ludovico Carracci, Jacopo della Quercia, Lorenzo Costa, Francesco Francia etc.
Turning our back to the church we can see the MUSIC CONSERVATORY "G.B. MARTINI" 17once Agostinians' monastery and from the 19th century an excellent music school where very famous musicians such as Donizetti, Rossini, Busoni, Martucci passed from there. Also the library is one of the most important in Europe for the very rare material collected there. Going through via Zamboni we find Piazza Verdi where there is the main entrance of the TOWN THEATRE 18. It was built on Bentivoglio Palace ruins in the second half of the 18th century by Antonio Galli called the "Bibiena".
At few metres from the Town Theatre on the right there is the well-known "UNIVERSITY" 19, obtained from the 16th century Poggi Palace which has been the seat of the Athenaeum since 2 centuries.
Going farther we find a crossing where on the left there is Via delle Belle Arti, we take it because there is the NATIONAL PICTURE GALLERY 20. It collects both Italian and foreign valutable works and it is one of most important in Europe. Among the main important ones there are Perugino's "La Madonna", Raffaello's "S. Cecilia", Francesco del Cossa's "Madonna e i Santi", and Carracci, Guercino, Guido Reni and Domenichino's paintings.
We go on Via delle Belle Arti and we find "NEW BENTIVOGLIO PALACE" 21, a late 16th century imposing building. We are now in Via Mentana we go through it until we turn on the right into Via Marsala and we arrive in "SAINT MARTINO SQUARE" 22.
The square is named after the church which was founded by the Carmelites at the beginning of the 13th century and it was rebuilt 2 centuries later; inside it is divided into a nave and two aisles; very beautiful the chapels some of which keep Francesco di Francia, Ludovico Carracci and Lorenzo Costa's works.
Some steps farther on in Via Marsala and we find one of the most ancient palaces in Bologna "GRASSI PALACE"in gothic-romanesque style, characterized by the suggestive wooden portico which is an example of ancient Bolognese building of the 13th century.
Not far away there is the wide straight forward Via Indipendenza; turning on the left we get to the imposing "SAINT PETER'S CATHEDRAL" 23; its origins date back to the 10th century, but destroyed by fires and earthquakes it has been rebuilt several times. The church keeps works of great importance by Donato Creti, Ludovico Carracci and Alfonso Lombardi. The rectangular based bell tower is evidence of the consecutive reconstructions; it keeps the ancient circular bell tower of palaeo-romanesque origin; the lions, turned into stoups, the Battistero's spiral column, the cedar-wood crucifixion of the Romanesque period too; Saint Vitale and Saint Agricola's relics, kept into the crypta.
Going forward Via Indipendenza we take Via Ugo Bassi and we go through it until we get toPIAZZA MALPIGHI 24; with the "Colle dell'Osservanza" and the imposing "Aldini Villa" in the background. On the side of the square there is SAINT FRANCESCO'S CHURCH 25 yard with the characteristic glossators' graves. On the opposite side of the square there is the entrance of the homonymous church which is one of the most ancient examples of Franciscan temple.
Built in the middle of the 13th century it presents a Romanesque-Gothic front, two asymmetric bell towers the smallest one dates back to the same period and the largest to the 15th century, designed by Antonio di Vincenzo. It is very characteristc the arch around the apse; the interior is very suggestive; it is shaped like the latin cross with one nave and two aisles; the central nave is taller and has got a six gores vault like "Notre Dame's Chathedral". There are nine chapels; it is very beautiful the high altar with a precious marbre altar piece, once covered with gold; of particular interest is Saint Bernardino's Chapel of the 15th century decorated with terracotta and the antipope Alessandro V's grave. |
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italiano 
english
