Bologna Day 4

Our final morning in Bologna. Today is "church" day, meaning it's about seeing all the churches we missed (and on Mondays they're the only thing open). I have to first include this restaurant sign by our flat bc it's so bizarre. 

Looks like a crazed drag queen!
First stop of the day was Basilica di San Petronio.
If it looks like a remodel that ran out of money, you wouldn't be wrong. Like many churches in Italy, ambition exceeded the pocket book and the facade was never completed. Started in 1390, it does remain one of the largest churches ever built (rivaling St Peters of Rome). This was the sight of the last papal crowning of a Holy Roman Emperor (Chuck 5) and, according to legend, where Martin Luther was so disgusted by papal pomp that his reformation was inspired. As Trump likes to say when he's caught in a lie, "There's no way to know."

Though there is some nice art work here, what we found most interesting was the world's largest, indoor astronomical clock, designed by Giovanni Cassini. Basically at noon light comes thru a pin hole in the ceiling and shines to a marked point on the floor. Pretty cool!



If you zoom in on the red rope you can see the calendar numbers.
We saw four churches total in the morning, but I'm going to skip to the last. San Domenico Church, built in 1251, holds the remains of Saint Domenico. Originally buried in a small, wooden coffin, once his popularity soared the church was expanded and he got nicer digs.




On our way back to collect our bags, we found this nice statue in the park of Lino Zaccanti.
Off to the train station to Ravenna! Here's Holly at the station laughing at some dorky joke I made. 

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