BASILICA DI SAN PETRONIO

This church dedicated to the patron saint of the city is one of the most beautiful creations of Italian Gothic architecture. Its construction began in 1390 and was not completed until 1659. A challenge set by the Bolognese, it was to become the largest basilica in the world. Unable to tolerate the idea that there was a basilica in Bologna larger than St. Peter's Church in Rome, the Pope decided otherwise by offering a new wing to the University of Bologna, placed right next to the basilica: a roundabout way to block the extent of its construction! The façade remained unfinished; only the lower level has been clad in white Istrian stone and pink Verona marble. Central portal decorated with bas-reliefs by Jacopo della Quercia. Inside, one is fascinated by the vastness of the Gothic style space and by the meridian drawn on the floor in 1655. Every June 21 at 1:16 pm, it marks the Bolognese summer solstice when the sun's rays illuminate the sign of cancer. The twenty-two chapels belonging to the donor families of the time and decorated with paintings can also be admired. The fourth on the left is decorated with frescoes by Giovanni da Modena (1410-1415), with scenes from the life of Saint Petronius, an Adoration of the Magi, Paradise and Hell. Among the damned is the Prophet Muhammad, which led to the basilica being the target of terrorist attacks, fortunately foiled, in 2002 and 2006. Above the high altar is the oldest organ in Italy.