Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Discovering the Riches of the University City of Bologna:
Bologna was such a revelation! Seriously! Before I set foot in the city, all I knew was that it had the oldest university in Europe and among the oldest in the world. I also knew that it had a very stirring historical district that would be full of wonderfully archaic buildings. Little did I know that it had so very much to offer by way of religion, education, history, art, architecture and, indeed even food. Who has not heard of baloney? And indeed among the first shops we saw in the city, right opposite the train station was one selling baloney! And who has not heard of Spaghetti Bolognaise? But, that apart, not much is known. In fact, when we were trundling our suitcases through Via Marconi, the previous night, a puzzled Nafisa had actually asked me, “Why did we choose to come to his place?” It revealed itself to us, at first glance, as a busy, modern European city with nothing to offer except traffic, huge buildings and endless shops. “Wait,” I said, “until we get to the heart of the historic district.” I could not have spoken truer words…
We spent a good night but our hotel did not offer breakfast. We stopped at a small local café for coffee and croissants—what could be more Italian than such a breakfast, right? In fact, I came to enjoy the authentic simplicity of these breakfasts that most Italians enjoy on the go—to sit at a table means you pay a fraction more (for service). But it was fully worth the extra cents!
The Basilica of St. Francis:
Map in hand, we made our way to Piazza Maggiore (which is the very heart of the old Historic District). But, en route, we happened to see the towering edifice of the Church of St. Francis, a Gothic-Romanesque structure with twin spires. Inside, we found a beautiful carved marble reredos(or altar) featuring a pantheon of saints. We spent a few minutes inside and then moved on.
Discovering the Treasures of Piazza Maggiore:
Using our map, we negotiated the busy streets of Bologna that were packed with commuters during rush hour. In course of time, we arrived at Piazza Maggiore which is the main square of the city and the heart of the historic district. In fact, the appearance of the buildings changes suddenly—modernity ceases and antiquity takes over. And you realize you are now in medieval and Renaissance Bologna and, believe me, it stirs the soul.
Piazza Maggiore does not look much more different today than it did centuries ago when it was the beating pulse of this city. It has a large square anchored by the Fountain of Neptune. The God of the Sea stands in the center holding a trident surrounded by sea-nymphs in varied representations.
The Basilica of San Petronius:
The most arresting building in Piazza Maggiore is the Basilica of St. Petronius, a Bishop of Bologna in the 5thcentury and a popular Italian saint. The church remained unfinished on the outside—a matter that is obvious as the exterior cladding stops quite suddenly in the front. Inside, the church is a gorgeous confection of opulent decoration. In fact, it is said that it was when he saw this grand building that Martin Luther decided to turn against the extravagance of the church and began his Reformist movement.
As in all Baroque churches, here too there are small individual chapels that were sponsored by prominent Italian families who lavished expense and time on decorating them. The result is a visual feast. It is clad in delicate pink and white columns and has a central altar that is dominated by a beautifully ornate depiction of the Crucifixion. The carved wooden choir stalls (which were poorly lit) are also one of the masterpieces of Baroque religious design.
Also interesting in this church was the identification of the Meridian Line by the astronomer Giovanni Cassini. It is well-marked and we had fun standing astride it as we had done at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich in London and the Rose Line at the Church of San Suplice in Paris and, of course, at the Equator in Quito, Ecuador. Of course we started a trend because after us scores of visitors followed suit!
When we had spent a while in prayer here, we made our way outside on the square and found ourselves attracted to a palazzo that we decided to visit.
A Visit to Palazzo d’Accurio:
This amazing building offered itself to us in layers as we took it all in. Over the entrance is a huge bronze statue of Pope Gregory XIII. On the left is a clock-tower that gives the entire square a great deal of character. Once you go past the entrance, you find yourself in a quadrangle. This is Bolgona’s City Hall—still a working administrative building in which a few rooms are open to tourists. For me, one of its most striking features is a broad marble staircase with very shallow steps—almost a slope with wooden posts across to prevent the climber from slipping. This was designed by Bramante especially so that horse-drawn carriages could go upstairs to the top floors! This was obviously a matter of catering to the very wealthy and the very lazy! The staircase was lit by glorious black wrought-iron lamps.
Once upstairs, we visited a number of rooms that are open to the public. They are gorgeous in their interior design and decoration, being studded with sculpture and lavish paintings. One of them is a Baroque delight with grand plaster work on the ceiling that emphasized the rondels in which mythological heroes were painted. Of these rooms, the Farnese Hall was particularly striking for it offered a wealth of frescoes that detail eight important episodes in Italian history.
Back on the square, we took a bit of rest on the church steps, found some souvenirs and then began our walk towards the historic district.
The Twin Towers of Tori Degli Asinelli:
It was not long before we found ourselves making our way towards the twin towers that dominate Bologna’s skyline. They reminded us a little of the many towers we had seen in San Gimignano. These were slightly asymmetrical and one of them (Torre Garisenda) was decidedly leaning towards one side. It is possible to climb up the Asinelli Tower—but I wasn’t about to tire myself so completely that I was left with no enjoyment in the activity that the next few days could offer. We walked around the tower where a queue of climbers was already forming, before we realized that we were in the heart of Bologna’s university area. In this small square area, there are so many interesting buildings that I simply could not get enough of the architectural delights it offered.
Exploring Bologna’s University Area:
We were fortunate to arrive in Bologna on the very day that its famous university was celebrating its graduation. This enabled us to bear witness to some of the strangest Italian customs that I have ever seen—the roasting of the new graduates by their family members and classmates. I had witnessed this, a few years ago, at the University of Padua—Italy’s second-oldest university (so I did know what the tomfoolery was all about). We paused to see young bearded men dressed in skimpy female clothing wearing laurel wreaths around their heads—an obvious symbol of victory that goes back to Roman times. We took a few photographs as we watched them getting drenched by their happy mates.
Then, it was time for us to go to the upper floors of one of the university buildings. Although its architecture was quite stirring, it really did not yield much by way of tourist interest.
Off to the Pinocateca Nationale (The National Gallery) of Bologna:
Lonely Planethad stated that, if time permitted, the Pinocateca Nationale in Bologna was certainly worth a visit as it showcased the work of some heavy duty Renaissance masters. Walking under the alcoves and columns and arcades of the university area was itself a delight as we headed towards this building. Little did I know how enthralled we would be by the treasures contained within. Suffice it to say that of all the museums I have ever visited in the world, no one overwhelmed me so thoroughly by the sheer size of the canvasses as this one did. For indeed, what this museum contains is a collection of altarpieces hauled from various churches all over Italy and brought to one spot. Now, as everyone knows, altarpieces are huge—because they must be seen from the furthest end of a church—and they are didactic (i.e. they tell a story as they act as teaching tools). These paintings then were massive and they were countless in number. To see one large religious painting is often an arresting experience. To see so many of them, one after the other, gallery after gallery, was truly stunning and I took a long time to recover from the experience. The collection began with works by Giotto and Simone Marti and then quickly escalated to include stunners such as The Ecstasy of St. Ceciliaby Raphael, The Last Supperby El Greco, The Visitationby Tintoretto, Christ on the Crossby Titian, as well as paintings by Parmigiano and Vasari. As I said, the quality of the work may be uneven, but the collection is notable for the sheer size of the altarpieces and the manner in which they have been collected and displayed. Certainly worth a visit.
Lunch in a Wayside Restaurant:
It was time for lunch as our sightseeing had made us hungry. We were delighted to find a small restaurant that offered tables outside, but it was much cooler inside than out—so inside we trooped. There we seated ourselves at red-and-white checkered tables and ordered beer and mineral water, pasta and pizza and enjoyed every bit of our delicious meal.
A little later, as we made our way through the various arcaded buildings, we passed by the Oratorio of St. Ceciliawhere we stopped for a quick visit. Inside, we found the walls frescoed by varied Renaissance painters in the 1500s as they revealed the life of St. Cecilia who is the patron saint of music. We did not spend too long inside as we still had a lot of sightseeing to uncover in this endlessly fascinating city.
The Church of St. Stefano:
The Church of San Stefano in Bologna is no ordinary church—for one thing, it comprises seven churches that are interlinked. Hence it is known locally as Sette Chiese (Seven Churches). You enter one and find yourself walking through them all. Each of them is completely different in terms of style and dedication.
We entered the Church of St. Steven or the Holy Crucifix. It had a red-brick façade and an interesting circular balcony that hung over the entrance. It was built in the 8thcentury and it wore its age well. Right next to it is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This contains a vast circular marble monument in the center which is said to conceal a piece of the Holy Sepulchre from the church of the same name in Jerusalem upon which Christ was laid after his deposition from the cross. The Bishop of Bologna, later canonized as St. Petronius, is responsible for bringing this relic to Bologna. You next saunter into the Church of Sts. Vitale and Agricola which belongs to the 4thcentury. Here the antiquity of the church was so evocative—in its exposed stone and the narrow nave with arches that rise up to the top floor. Right after this, you will find yourself in the Courtyard of Pilate where a well stands. Around it, the dual storeyed church rises in Romanesque fashion on uniform arches—incredible architecture for that time in history. Next is the Church of the Trinity which is marked by a large baptismal font in the main courtyard. And finally is the Church of the Bandage which is dedicated to Our Lady. By the time we had seen all seven churches, we were so filled with awe for the architectural achievement and for the manner in which they have so superbly stood the test of time. All of the grandeur and devotion of the early Church is to be found in these concealed courtyards. Had we more time and had the weather been cooler, I would have loved to have spent more time here in thoughtful meditation. Certainly these churches took me back to the ones I had visited in the Holy Land.
Off to the Anatomy Theater and Library:
We had one more important sight to cover before we thought of leaving Bologna. This is a big attraction in one of the university buildings called the Archiginnassio. In and of itself, it is an attractive building with wonderful old plaster family crests adorning the walls—proclaiming the patronage of these eminent families to education. We walked from one room to the next and had to buy a ticket (3 euros) to enter the Anatomy Theater.
One of the most striking things about medieval European universities is their Anatomy Theaters which were usually deep amphitheaters designed to serve as rooms for demonstration when the dissection of human cadavers was being undertaken for the benefit of medical students by their senior professors. I had seen one of these at the University of Padua which is the second-oldest university in Italy. That one was far deeper than this…it went down for several tiers. I had also seen a similar room in what is called the Old Operating Theater in London. In all these places, students would stand on the tiers and peer down as they watched a dissection or surgery take place. The one at Bologna amphitheater is not that deep. However, the interior decoration is very impressive indeed. Those medieval wanna-be doctors would have felt very important to have been in such hallowed surroundings when studying. Surrounding them were wooden carvings of such medical luminaries as Hippocrates and Galen who flood the pages of medical history. There is a sort of throne on one side at which an examiner would preside over such procedures. The ceiling was frescoed in the same way that some of the best Baroque churches are. In the center of it all is a raised marble slab on which the cadaver or human body would be laid to carry out the operations. It was certainly worth seeing this room. It was good to know that this building and this theater had been completely destroyed by bombing during World War II, but had been painfully and meticulously pieced together again by retrieving from the debris all of the items that make up this room. A truly stupendous effort and achievement!
Before we left this ancient building with its air of learning, knowledge and power, we were happy to visit a lecture room called the Stabat Mater Lecture Room. In years gone by, this room has hosted visiting lecturers from all over the world as well as had thousands of students listen to the words of wisdom of their professors. Apart from the frescoes, this room has walls covered by coats of arms of prominent Italian families who acted as patrons of knowledge. This room is attached to the actual library—into which we were prevented from going. This is known as the Communal Library. We could see the stacks and shelves that seemed to go on forever towards the vanishing point—and closer at hand, there were many bookcases filled with important works of leaning—a great tribute to the pursuit of knowledge that has gone on in this space for centuries. We enjoyed taking in the ambience of these buildings, for indeed that was what Bologna is famous for—its ancient university. In every corridor and along every staircase, there is exuberant decoration in the form of classical paintings that capture the eye at every turn.
Time for Gelato:
By this time, it was close to 5.00 pm. Our day of non-stop sightseeing in such a fascinating city had left us fatigued and hungry for a snack. We traced our steps back to the Piazza Maggiore en route to our hotel and stopped at a gelateria for gelato—I had made it my resolution to try new flavors of gelato daily and by the end of my stay in Italy, I had tasted, Chocolate, Gianduja (Choco-Hazelnut), Nicciola (Hazelnut), Rosemary and Lavender, Honey and Fig, Passion Fruit, Fig and Walnut…it was just endless. Most of them were quite excellent indeed and I forgave myself for the extra pounds I would need to work to erase in the weeks that followed.
En route to Ravenna:
It was time for us to check out of our Hotel Marconi and to hail a cab that would get us back to Bologna station for our onward journey to Ravenna—where we intended to reach before dark. Thankfully, in the summer, days are really long in Europe and one has the benefit of light until almost 10.00 pm. Accordingly, we left for the station and found the platform for our train—it was not one of those Rapido trains but a much slower one that allowed us to take in the beauty of the passing Italian countryside. As we chatted companionably and munched in the train on the many snacks we had carried with us, time flew by.
We arrived in Ravenna at about 7.00 pm and found ourselves outside a very cute but almost deserted train station. Before we left the station, we got ourselves tickets for our next day’s journey to Milan. It was easy to talk to the clerk in French and to convey our needs—but I neglected to discover that he gave us seats on a train that would leave Bologna for our connecting journey to Milan a whole hour later than the one for which we had asked. We would only make this discovery the next evening when we arrived at Bologna station to make our connection.
There were a few academic types ahead of us in the taxi queue as the clerk had told us that our hotel was a ten-minute walk away. But we had learned, by that point, that ten minute without cases translated to half an hour with them! Hence, we decided that taxis were the best way to get from station to hotel and from hotel to station. It was not long before we were deposited in the very busy square called Piazza Byron—indeed our hotel was called Hotel Byron Centrale and it was the very best hotel in which we stayed on our travels. We discovered later that Lord Byron spent the last two years of his life in Ravenna and that an annual Byron Conference attracts a lot of literary folks to the city, year after year. This happened to be that time of year. Not only that, but the personnel at this hotel were simply marvelous—they were mostly older men who had an air of old-world graciousness about them that one simply does not find in younger folks. The patience, calmness and serenity with which they attended to our check-in formalities and the soft-spoken manner in which they told us about the facilities that the hotel offered simply floored me and I told the gentleman who checked us in how much I appreciated his manners and his personality. Needless to say, he was delighted by the compliment and simply beamed at me.
Dinner With Delyse:
Once we stashed our cases in our rooms (one triple, one single), we went out to explore our immediate environs. Nafisa and Shahida discovered a halal eatery that was run by some Pakistanis and, having confined themselves merely to vegetarian meals for all their time in Italy (as Nafisa follows strict halal codes), they were ready to sink their teeth into some meat! Delyse and I, however, did not fancy the idea of eating Indian food in Italy; not when Italian is my favorite cuisine in the whole world—hence, we decided to get separate meals. Nafisa and Shahida went off to the Indian place while Delyse and I went off to find La GardelaItalian Restaurant that had been warmly recommended by our hotel receptionist.
And how fabulous La Gardelawas! We started off by ordering drinks (red wine for Delyse, beer for me) and because our Muslim friends were not with us, we opted for pork. We ordered Pork Chops in a Brandy Sauce (that was absolutely scrumptious), mixed grilled vegetables and grilled radicchio (radicchio di Treviso is a specialty of the Italian summer and is not available in the US—it was especially good). Our meal was one of the best we would eat on our travels. We chatted nineteen to the dozen as we had so much to go over. It was really the only quiet private time that the two of us had on the trip and we did enjoy it very much indeed.
Then, it was time to call it a day and get back to our lovely hotel for a comfortable night’s sleep. There was a lot to do on the morrow and we did want to be well-rested for it.
Until tomorrow, arrivederci…
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