The Basilica of San Domenico is an important church in Bologna, located in the homonymous square. The church houses the remains of San Domenico (Saint Dominic), founder of the Dominican Order, who died in 1221 in the adjacent convent. SHORT HISTORY Saint Dominic arrived in Bologna in January 1218, and settled in the convent of the Church of Santa Maria della Purificazione, located outside the city walls. In 1219, the saint moved to the Convent of San Nicolò delle Vigne, where the current basilica stands. Saint Dominic died on August 6, 1221. In 1233, his remains were placed in a cypress chest, enclosed in a simple marble sarcophagus, and placed behind the altar of a side chapel of the right aisle. The following year, San Domenico was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. In 1267, his remains were placed in a monument known as the Ark of Saint Dominic (Arca di San Domenico). Starting with 1228, the old church of San Nicolò delle Vigne was enlarged, with the demolition of the apse and the extension of the nave. The construction works of the new basilica were completed in 1240, with the building of the sober Romanesque facade. The basilica was Read more [...]
Tag: Alfonso Rubbiani in Bologna
Palazzo dei Notai
Palazzo dei Notai (Palace of the Notaries) is a medieval palace in Bologna, located in Piazza Maggiore, between the Basilica of San Petronio and Palazzo d’Accursio. SHORT HISTORY The palace was built starting with 1381 as the seat of the Notaries Guild. Its construction had two stages: the part facing the Basilica of San Petronio dates back to 1381, but the one facing Palazzo d’Accursio was rebuilt by Bartolomeo Fioravanti in 1437. In 1422, a loggia was added to the building, and the current door was opened in Via dei Pignattari, next to the Basilica of San Petronio. In 1792, when the vault of the great hall was transformed and raised according to a design by Giuseppe Tubertini, many battlements were damaged, and the palace partially lost its characteristic medieval appearance. In 1908, Palazzo dei Notai was completely restored by Alfonso Rubbiani, who mainly intervened on the facade and demolished the great hall of Tubertini. ART AND ARCHITECTURE Palazzo dei Notai is a rectangular structure made of bricks, crenellated on top, with Gothic mullioned windows. Inside the palace, in the Salone dei Notai (Hall of Notaries), you can admire the 15th-century frescoes representing the Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Read more [...]
