Bologna: A Study in Ocre
Bologna is such a wonderful study in ocre, in red and yellow that it burns your eyes in the best way possible. See for yourself!
First, let's take an overview. From the taller of the two Torri, the Torre degli Asinelli. The noble families used to build these towers to show off and intimidate their rivals; they're far too high to serve any practical purpose in urban warfare. Nifty for a spectacular view, though. After you've climbed all 96 metres of narrow, narrow steps.
I mean:
And as a reward, you get this:
Before I get to the last one, have some details of the previous:
And now for the most famous part of the city, the Piazza Nettuno, named after the Neptune statue in it, with the St. Petronio Church and the city palaces. More about one of them in a moment.
St Petronio:
And the Palazzo di Re Enzo, thus called because they kept the oldest illegitimate son of my favourite medieval Emperor in it prisoner for over two decades. Bologna sided with the Pope in one of our more spectacular Pope vs Emperor showdowns. Really, that's why I never quite got the fuss with Thomas Becket; our Emperors did that kind of thing all the time. Few as stylish as Friedrich II, Federico Secondo, stupor mundi, very much a Renaissance figure in the Middle Ages, but while he died undefeated, his children went through one tragedy after another. Enzo actually did best with his Bologna imprisonment, because the Bolognese provided him with creature comforts and let him write homesick poetry. Whereas his brother Manfred's kids were kept like dogs in cages by the house of Anjou. Anyway - Enzo's involuntary residence:
And now from how it looks down there:
And now for more of the square:
The city hall isn't bad, either:
What Bologna is famous for, other than spaghetti and having the oldest university of Europe (we'll get there), are its arcades and alleys. I mean:
So, about that university. Older than Oxford, older than Paris. The buildings make up for a mini quarter, of course, but the main one, the Palazzo Poggi, offers a great museum. Go there:
See their idea of a class room:
My favourite exhibition room was the one dedicated to Dottore Galli, who trained his students and midwives by using wax models of babies in uteri in various difficult positions:
Though this chamber was also fascinating:
Now let's go outside again to catch some air. This is the former Jewish Quarter:
And with one last look at its arcades and palazzi, Bologna bids you farewell:
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/781089.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
First, let's take an overview. From the taller of the two Torri, the Torre degli Asinelli. The noble families used to build these towers to show off and intimidate their rivals; they're far too high to serve any practical purpose in urban warfare. Nifty for a spectacular view, though. After you've climbed all 96 metres of narrow, narrow steps.
I mean:
And as a reward, you get this:
Before I get to the last one, have some details of the previous:
And now for the most famous part of the city, the Piazza Nettuno, named after the Neptune statue in it, with the St. Petronio Church and the city palaces. More about one of them in a moment.
St Petronio:
And the Palazzo di Re Enzo, thus called because they kept the oldest illegitimate son of my favourite medieval Emperor in it prisoner for over two decades. Bologna sided with the Pope in one of our more spectacular Pope vs Emperor showdowns. Really, that's why I never quite got the fuss with Thomas Becket; our Emperors did that kind of thing all the time. Few as stylish as Friedrich II, Federico Secondo, stupor mundi, very much a Renaissance figure in the Middle Ages, but while he died undefeated, his children went through one tragedy after another. Enzo actually did best with his Bologna imprisonment, because the Bolognese provided him with creature comforts and let him write homesick poetry. Whereas his brother Manfred's kids were kept like dogs in cages by the house of Anjou. Anyway - Enzo's involuntary residence:
And now from how it looks down there:
And now for more of the square:
The city hall isn't bad, either:
What Bologna is famous for, other than spaghetti and having the oldest university of Europe (we'll get there), are its arcades and alleys. I mean:
So, about that university. Older than Oxford, older than Paris. The buildings make up for a mini quarter, of course, but the main one, the Palazzo Poggi, offers a great museum. Go there:
See their idea of a class room:
My favourite exhibition room was the one dedicated to Dottore Galli, who trained his students and midwives by using wax models of babies in uteri in various difficult positions:
Though this chamber was also fascinating:
Now let's go outside again to catch some air. This is the former Jewish Quarter:
And with one last look at its arcades and palazzi, Bologna bids you farewell:
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/781089.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.