Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
opens off the back, containing some unmemorable paintings and frescoes
spanning the 13th to the 18th centuries. And out here you'll find yet another
church: the tiny Cappella della Benda.
In the sixth chapel on the right inside
San Domenico
5
(Piazza San Domenico,
13;
%
051-6400411; Mon-Sat 9:30am-12:15pm and 3-6:30pm, Sun 3-5:30pm)
is one of the great treasures of Bologna, the beautifully crafted
tomb of San
Domenico
55
. St. Dominic, founder of the teaching order that bears his name,
died in Bologna in 1221, and his venerated modern X-ray decorates the chapel
wall (it's an actual X-ray of his bones; I've seen pilgrims kiss their fingers and
touch it before turning to pray at the tomb). These saints and angels are a joint
effort of Michelangelo, Pisano, and, most notably, Nicolo di Bari, who was so
proud of his work on the cover of the tomb
(arca)
that he dropped his last name
and is better known as Nicolo dell'Arca. Postcards near the entrance to the chapel
show you who carved what. A 20-year-old Michelangelo did the candle-bearing
angel at the lower right as well as the statue of San Petronius bearing a tiny model
of Bologna up on the tomb toward the left. He also carved San Proculus--his
cloak slung over one shoulder--on the tomb's backside. The chapel's apse fresco
is by Guido Reni, who's buried in the baroque chapel across the nave. The two
striking stilt-tombs on the piazza out front date from 1298 and 1300.
The masterpiece of the 13th-century
San Giacomo Maggiore
(Piazza Rossini;
%
051-225970; daily 7am-12:30pm and 3:30-6:30pm)
is the chapel/burial cham-
ber of the Bentivoglio family, who ruled Bologna through the 15th century.
Among the masterpieces here are a
Madonna and Child
by Francesco Francia,
along with the frescoes the Bentivoglios commissioned from Ferrarese master
Lorenzo Costa to depict life in a Renaissance court—an apt decoration for
Bologna's most influential (and tyrannical) clan.
Guided Walks & Bike Tours
Looking for a guided intro to Bologna? Take a
€
13,
2-hour walking tour,
in Italian or English, that hits most of the sights around Piazza Castello
and the Two Towers, plus the creepy Teatro Anatomico in the Palazzo
Archiginnasio, and the septet of churches making up San Stefano.
Reservations are not necessary, but because the virtually identical tours
are run by different companies on different days, where you meet changes
slightly. Those on Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday at 10:30am
(
%
051-
2950005; www.guidebologna.com),
and on Saturday at 3pm
(
%
051-
2750254; www.guidedarte.com)
all meet at the tourist office on Piazza
Maggiore. The tours on Monday and Friday at 11am, and on Tuesday and
Thursday at 3pm (4pm July-Aug), meet nearby at the Fontana del Nettuno
(
%
051-524274 or 340-2207699).
If wheels are more your style, Wednesday at 10am, weather permitting,
you can take a
€
18,
2-hour guided bike tour
(
%
051-524274 or 340-
2207699)
on one of several itineraries; call for details and to book.
