Tag: italy

Posted on

Bologna Cathedral

Bologna Cathedral

Bologna Cathedral
As I leave my hotel and walk along Via Indipendenza towards Bologna’s city centre, I’m immediately drawn to a tall, imperious, church-like looking façade which is nestled almost secretly alongside buildings in the busy street. Bologna Cathedral is unlike other cathedrals I have visited (both home and abroad), Bologna’s cathedral seems to be a secret and is easily confused with the Basilica of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore. The locations of most cathedrals that I have visited are such that they normally dominate a square in the city centre. Such cathedrals stand proudly and majestically in sight for all to gaze in wonder and are hubs of activity. Normally a cathedral has a very commanding presence for a city but Bologna’s cathedral is shy and reserved in comparison. Although almost hidden as if a terraced property, it should not be ignored and provides a great place to start exploring Bologna.

   

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Peter
This is Bologna’s cathedral’s full and proper name. In the 16th century, Bologna’s bishop of the time was elevated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to become an archbishop, which meant that the cathedral was given the rank of “metropolitan church”. Bologna’s cathedral then became the seat of the archbishop and gave the archbishop jurisdiction over the ecclesiastical territory (diocese), which included other cathedrals and their bishops. Bologna’s archdiocese has three suffragan dioceses (dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province). To the southeast of Bologna lies the Diocese of Imola (cathedral of Imola) and little further down the road the Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana (Faenza cathedral). To the northeast of Bologna, the third Diocese of Ferrara-Comacchio (Ferrara cathedral). I’m sure as we explore the churches and cathedrals in England we will come across many similar arrangements.

History of Bologna Cathedral
Looking at its history it is a bit of a calamitous church. Bologna’s cathedral is dedicated to San Pietro (Saint Peter), head of the apostles and the first pope. Most of the present building dates from the 17th century with the cathedral’s origins being traced back to the 10th and 11th century. Its calamitous past has seen several changes over the centuries. It was ravaged by a fire in 1131 and damaged by an earthquake in 1222. This meant that the church was rebuilt a couple of times. In 1477 two Ferrarese painters worked on the creation of a cycle of frescoes, and these would have had a significant influence on Niccolo dell ’Arca and Michelangelo. Sadly, the frescoes were lost in subsequent reconstruction. In 1599 the alterations made to the cathedral caused the vaults to collapse and the cathedral was then built from scratch and started in 1605.

      

Façade of Bologna Cathedral
Due to its location and its height it’s very hard to photograph the front of the cathedral. It has a  very bland appearance and is constructed out of red stone. The façade that is seen today was built between 1743 and 1747 under the instructions of Pope Benedict XIV. The designs were completed by architect Alfonso Torregiani. Looking at the front of the cathedral, two statues may be seen – the one on the left is San Pietro and the one on the right is San Paolo (Saint Paul).

    Bologna Cathedral

Inside Bologna cathedral
Walking into the cathedral nave, I immediately take my eyes off to colourful tiles in front of me and raise my eyes to the grand altar at the front of cathedral. There are golden pillars on each side with paintings on the ceiling and a coat of arms across the top. Looking at this display I notice the height of the ceiling of the whole room. Why so tall? Acoustics? There are tall pillars on either side of the nave with chairs in the middle for the congregation to sit. The actual ceiling is very bland in appearance. In between the pillars there are different chapels, with paintings and lots of golden furnishings. In the first chapel (immediately on your right as you walk in) you will see a display of terracotta statues which is called the Lamentation of Christ. This was sculptured by Alfonse Lombardi between 1522 -1526. Also, inside Bologna Cathedral it is possible to admire paintings by Prospero Fontana, Ludovico Carracci, Marcantonio Franceschini and Donato Creti. In the altar area is a wooden crucifix from the 12th century.

        

Bologna Cathedral Crypt
A crypt is an underground vault which is normally used as a chapel or a burial place. Access to  the crypt is permitted as part of a combined ticket with the bell tower and will cost you 5 euros and is only open on certain days and times. Lucky enough for it to be open on my visit, I took a visit to the crypt where I found a chapel and an archaeological site. The site has found remains of 10th century Romanesque cathedral pillar beam, and also two beams from the 12th century. In the nave they have put glass flooring in for viewing.

      

Bologna Cathedral Bell Tower
An incredible visit to the top of the tower is a must for those fit and daring enough. I quickly found out that the bell tower is a tower within a tower! The original tower is 40 metres high and survived the fire and earthquake mentioned earlier. In 1254 the bell tower that is seen today was constructed around the existing tower. The encompassing tower is now 70m high and is the second tallest tower in Bologna. The covered dome topping was added in 1426. Its rather surreal when you climb the steps trapped between the two towers. When you arrive at the top, the views are incredible and give another perspective of Bologna’s skyline. Inside the bell tower are 4 bells, and the largest known as ‘nonna’ or ‘grandmother’ weighs 33 quintals. It takes a funny upside-down position. The bells are rung “in the Bolognese way” and this requires 23 people to ring the bells.

     

Conclusions
A secretive cathedral and possibly the most important church in Bologna. I’m sure many people like me would confuse Bologna Cathedral with the dominating and unfinished Basilica in Piazza Maggiore which has the appearance and location of a cathedral but as we have learned doesn’t have the archbishop. I have learned that this church is the head of the archdiocese and I will have to visit the cathedrals in nearby Ferrara, Imola and Faenza, which make up Bologna’s diocese. A visit to the tower is always worth the hard work of climbing the stairs (I forgot to count how many) which gives a totally different view of the city. I hope you enjoy this blog. For those planning a visit to Bologna in the future, ignore it at your peril. For those who have been please let me know your thoughts.

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Posted on

A Tuscan Fairytale

The sun is sinking in the west, its rays radiating an array of colours that light up the sky. The sound of enjoyment and the chink of glasses combine with nature’s evening song to disturb the peaceful end to the day. Each evening we both take a moment to appreciate not only nature’s final daily display but the sight of our friends and families together as one.

Whisper it very quietly, but we have a secret to share (and one we hope remains a sort of secret!). This is a place with which we fell in love the moment we saw it and now a place we will never forget, and one that will live long in the memories. This place oozes warmth, generosity and friendship. It’s almost secretly but idyllically set in the Crete Senesi region, among the clay hills south of Siena and near the Arbia River. Here lies the romantic and intimate Castello di San Fabiano.

Our fairytale gave birth to new friendships, strengthened existing ones and opened the eyes of many to our fascination with travel and history. This castle has a rich and diverse history. It takes the form of a small hamlet and like most places with a long-standing history was built around a small church of which we have proof dates to 867 AD. The small and enchanting church was a stopping place for pilgrims and is dedicated to St. Fabian, to the pope and to martyrs. There is an apse from the 9th century, some of it may be dated to the Romanesque era,  and a façade was completed in the 18th century. I’m sure as we continue to revisit, we will spend some more time with Andrea, the present owner, and learn and explore its full history, but he did mention on a memorable night on the day after our wedding that there is a document confirming this very early date.

Between the church and the castle are the beautiful gardens that surround the castle on all sides. These charming gardens played host to our coming together, with nature in abundance and the aromas of rose bushes and lemon trees which have been planted amongst the cypress trees giving that beautiful Tuscan vibe. The castle was built to protect the nearby ford as this was one of the only passing places along the river apart from a Roman bridge a bit further downstream. The fortifications that took place meant that the towers were created to assist with communication with nearby Siena. The towers that are seen today were built at the turn of the 13th century, and a visit to the highest accessible point is a must to sit and savour a glass of wine as the sun sets. You can see all of Siena’s skyline as the sun sets behind it and perhaps you can think about picking up the fire signals of yesteryear. The castle did see some “action” when the king of Naples army laid siege in 1409 AD. They decided that this would be a perfect post station for the long journey from Naples to Paris. It then passed into the hands of the powerful Sienese family for the next 500 or so years before changing hands a few times to be purchased by the Fiorentini family.

We can be grateful to Andrea’s father (Giovani’s grandfather) for purchasing it and to the family for their continued labour of love that they have invested and continue to take on to preserve such a charming place. Spending time with the family is an honour and privilege to learn about the place. Perhaps the castle and the surrounding countryside is a secret that is worth keeping to ourselves but we have started to share not only its location but its vibrancy on our recent big event and have been surprised to see how many accepted the invitation to come and now, perhaps, share an admiration for such a place. Words perhaps can’t describe how much this place means to us both; we hope it won’t be long until we return.

 

Castello di San Fabiano, Crete Senesi Gravel Ritorno, Monteroni d'Arbia, Siena, Tuscany, 53014, Italy