This basilica faces a triangular piazza. It consists of a
crypt, some catacombs, and four beautiful churches. These are the main
basilica, with an angel carved by Michelangelo, the Santi Vitale e Agricola,
dating from the fifth century, the octagonal Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro, which
may have once been a baptistry, and the Romanesque Chiesa del Crocefisso. The
Chiesa del Crocefisso is said to have a stone basin in it’s courtyard that
Pontius Pilate used to wash his hands after condemning Christ. More likely it
dates from the eighth century and was made by Lombards. An
adjoining museum houses a collection of painting and frescos.
Fontana di Nettuno
The Fontana di Nettuno is a huge edifice situated in the
street connecting the Piazza Maggiore with Piazza del Nettuno. It was built in
1566, with bronze statues by the Flemish sculpture Jean Boulogne. The fountain
is topped by a huge bronze of Neptune, trident in hand and fish under foot, and
is surrounded by four angels, representing the four winds, and four sirens,
with water spouting from their breasts, representing the four continents known
at the time.
Le Due Torri
Pisa boasts of
its leaning tower, but Bologna
actually has two. They are the Torres degli Asinelli and the Torres degli
Garisenda, rising above the Piazza di Portia at the end of Via Rizzoli. The Torres degli
Asinelli is taller of the two, with a lean of 1.3m (4.2ft), and 498 steps that
you can climb should the mood take you. Torres degli Garisenda is closed to the
public because its lean of 3.2m (10.4ft) has been officially declared just too
dangerous. In comparison, the leaning tower
of Pisa had a lean of about four
meters.
Palazzo Comunale
Serving as Bologna’s
town hall, the Palazzo Comunale was started in 1462. The bell tower was added
later and was made shorter than the one at the cathedral to symbolize the
importance of church over civic authority. Its grand central staircase,
attributed to the Renaissance architect Donato Bramante, was built wide enough
for horse drawn carriages to transport their noble occupants up to the first
floor. The palazzo houses an extensive collection of medieval and Renaissance
paintings, sculpture and furniture.