Fascinating itinerary through the city of Bologna to discover its main religious buildings, to appreciate the artistic and architectural beauties, but also and above all to discover the legends, anecdotes and curiosities that have distinguished the city’s construction and subsequent history.
Day 1 – ARRIVAL and ACCOMMODATION in HOTEL
Arrival of the group in Bologna in the evening, meeting at the airport/train station with one of our assistants and reserved vehicle for transfer to the hotel for accommodation. Dinner in restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 2 – BASILICA of SAN PETRONIO, PIAZZA MAGGIORE, FOUNTAIN of NEPTUNE and the BASILICA of SAN FRANCESCO
Breakfast at the hotel. Short walk towards the city centre for a guided tour of the monumental Basilica of San Petronio, through its chapels, its curiosities and its history, which began at the behest of the medieval commune in 1390. Possibility (as an extra) to go up to the panoramic terrace to admire a beautiful view of Bologna. This is followed by a visit to Piazza Maggiore, the fulcrum of city life, whose sides are lined with the palaces of power and the most important activities, with their medieval charm and richness of suggestion, from the Town Hall to the Palazzo del Podestà, and then the Palazzo dei Notai (seat of city’s notaries guild), the Palazzo dei Banchi and the Palazzo Re Enzo, amidst legends, anecdotes and historical events. Finally, the rediscovery of the Fountain of Neptune, designed by sculptor Giambologna in 1565 on commission of Pope Pius IV Medici and with multiple meanings. Lunch at your leisure.
After lunch we will move to the rediscovery of the ancient Seliciata of San Francesco (Saint Francis pavement), today Piazza Malpighi, transformed over the centuries and after World War II, with the Tombs of the Glossators (Tombe dei Glossatori) and the Franciscan convent, whose basilica is the oldest Gothic building in the city (1236-1263), second in size in Italy only to the one in Assisi, full of symbols and curious stories, from music to aviation, and also the burial place of an Antipope. Next to it, the convent with the beautiful Cloister, known as “of the dead”, in which some tombstones still stand out as a reminder of the convent complex’s university past, and the Muzzarelli Chapel, from the late 14th century, which was a sacristy for a long period and that contains detached frescoes from the Rimini school. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 3 – The TWO TOWERS, SANTO STEFANO and the BASILICA of SAN DOMENICO
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer on foot to Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, for the ascent to the Asinelli Tower, the highest of the Two Towers, symbol of the city. Afterwards, along a fascinating journey among beautiful medieval buildings, we will move to Piazza Santo Stefano, to visit the abbey complex with the same name, known as the “Seven Churches” and the “Holy Jerusalem of Bologna”, built on top of a pre-existing temple dedicated to Isis. The buildings of the ancient monastery are reminiscent of the sacred places of the Holy Land, creating a unique, suggestive and engaging atmosphere. Possibility to attend the Sunday Holy Mass in Latin. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon we will reach the nearby Basilica of San Domenico, an extraordinary treasure chest of art. The building, which was built starting from 1221, just a few years after the death of the saint who founded the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order, underwent an internal renovation in the mid-1700s and now has a neoclassical style.
An absolute masterpiece is the Chapel of S. Domenico, in which the remains of the saint, who died in Bologna in 1219, rest: here we will admire the interventions, that were carried out over the centuries, by the Pisano brothers, Niccolò da Puglia, better known as Niccolò dell’Arca, and even Michelangelo… up to the Apotheosis fresco in the the semi-dome of the apse, a work by Guido Reni. Inside the church are also works by Guercino, Filippino Lippi, Giunta Pisano, Giacomo Francia and others. Not to forget the Choir, with sixteenth-century marquetry and the Cloister. At the end, outside visit of the Tombs of the Glossators, who were commentators and translators of ancient Roman law. We will learn more about two jurists, in particular, who lived in the 13th century: Rolandino de’ Passeggeri and Egidio Foscherari. In the evening, bus transfer to the airport/train station for the return trip.
The fee includes: bus for transfer to and from the airport; accommodation in a central 3-star hotel in Bologna with half board; all scheduled visits with a licensed guide.
The fee does not include: meals, anything not expressly indicated under “the fee includes” section.
All risk, medical, baggage and cancellation policy available as an extra.
