Windows, frescoes and crypts: a visit to the Basilicas of Bologna allows you to perform a real dip in the past through which to contemplate some of the most famous works in the history of Italian art.
Not only the famous Basilica of San Luca: there are many churches in Bologna that contain curiosities to discover and beauties to see. Today we at Hotel Maggiore want to offer you some ideas on what to see in Bologna and in particular on the basilicas of Bologna not to be missed during your visit to the Emilian capital.
Basilica of San Petronio
Among the most important and main basilicas Bologna , the Basilica of San Petronio represents a mandatory stop during the visit to the city.
Located on the central Piazza Maggiore, the church takes its name from the patron saint of the city and constitutes the sixth largest basilica in Europe, the largest fourth in Italy - or third, if St. Peter is excluded - and the largest Gothic brick church in the world.
The construction of this famous Basilica of Bologna begins at the end of the fourteenth century and extends for about thirty years, despite the work remains unfinished, as it is still understood by the state of the facade.
The lower part is in fact covered with white marble, as required by the initial project, while the upper part is still composed of raw bricks. Formed by three large naves, the Basilica of San Petronio was witness to important historical events, including the coronation of the emperor Charles V and two different sessions of the Council of Trent.
Basilica of San Domenico
One of the basilicas of Bologna from the richest artistic heritage, the Basilica of San Domenico was founded at the beginning of the thirteenth century by San Domenico di Guzman, founder of the order of the preachers - or Dominicans, from which he takes his name.
Following his death, the remains of the Patriarch were kept in the chapel of this famous Basilica of Bologna within an today's marble ark considered one of the major specimens of Italian plastic art, later further adorned with sculptures made by Nicola Pisano.
The interiors of the Basilica of San Domenico are the result of the renovation works carried out during the first half of the eighteenth century, but still retain works and paintings previously made by great names of the Italian artistic panorama including Guercino, Cambiaso and Carracci.
Basilica of Santo Stefano
A mandatory stop for those who want to go into the artistic and cultural history of the Basilicas of Bologna , the Basilica of Santo Stefano is actually made up of a complex of buildings, also known by the name of 'seven churches', which overlook the homonymous square.
According to tradition, this suggestive Basilica of Bologna would have been conceived by San Petronio, patron and bishop of the city, in order to create an imitation of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
On the square it is possible to admire the prospects of the church of the Crucifix, which contains numerous works of art and the crypt of the Marine abbot, the Church of Calvary, containing a reproduction of the sepulcher of Christ, and the Church of San Vitale and San Agricola, in which it is possible to admire the sarcophagi of the two saints whose name bears.
For those who decide to visit this Basilica of Bologna , noteworthy is also the courtyard of Pilate and the Benedictine cloister, as well as the museum in which sculptures, paintings and famous works are kept dating back to different historical periods.
Cathedral of San Pietro
Of the early Christian era, the Cathedral of San Pietro represents one of the main places of worship in the city and is home to the archdiocese since the late sixteenth century.
Located in the historic center, a short distance from the church of San Petronio, the aspect that this Basilica of Bologna is to be attributed to the works carried out in the early seventeenth century following a fire and, subsequently, an earthquake that occurred in the medieval era that had damaged its structure.
The works carried out eliminated the Gothic-Roman traces that characterized its style and the Annunciation of Ludovico Carracci was thus inserted, an invaluable value work that to date is a source of attraction for tourists who visit the city.
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