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THE BASILICA OF SAINT PETRONIUS AND BOLOGNA’S PATRON SAINT, Art Hotel Commercianti

Commercianti Hotel rediseño - Bologna - THE BASILICA OF SAINT PETRONIUS AND BOLOGNA’S PATRON SAINT

THE BASILICA OF SAINT PETRONIUS AND BOLOGNA’S PATRON SAINT

June 01 2023
CURIOSITIES
From our hotel, located next to the famous and impressive Basilica of San Petronio, you can enjoy the view of the fascinating church from the windows of many of our rooms. Furthermore, in those rooms with a terrace, a magical sight will make you believe that you are so close that you can touch the beautiful Gothic stained glass windows. To see the basilica from the inside, walk from the Art Hotel dei Commercianti and you will only need to go thirty meters to enter.

The history of the Basilica

Situated in the heart of Bologna, opposite the magnificent Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica is the main church of Bologna and one of the largest in Europe. Its troubled history led to its consecration only in 1954, even though construction had started back in 1388. Initially, the project envisioned a Basilica even larger than the one that was built. The dimensions would have surpassed even St. Peter's in Rome, with a length of 224 meters and a width of 150, but history obstructed it. In 1524, Bologna was conquered by the Papal State and construction on the Basilica was interrupted to make way for the construction of the Archiginnasio, the future site of the University. As a result, the ambitious dimensions of the Basilica could not be achieved. Inside, in Gothic style, you can admire 22 chapels and works of art by Italian medieval and Renaissance artists. Even the decorations on the marble facade were left incomplete due to the death of the sculptor Jacopo Della Quercia, but it is precisely this external aspect that makes it unique: one of the few churches in the world to retain the Gothic beauty and mysterious charm of the Middle Ages, a facade that never seems to have been completed, but at the same time, is complete in its "imperfection". One might think, given its grandeur, that the Basilica of San Petronio is the Duomo of Bologna, but in reality, it is not. The Duomo is that of San Pietro, on Via Indipendenza. San Petronio was designed to be the Basilica of the people of Bologna, not only as a place of worship but also as a meeting point.


Our patron

Why is the Basilica of San Petronio so important for our city? Apart from being in the heart of the historic center, a point of reference for all the people of Bologna and a regular meeting place, it is also important for the Saint whose name it carries. Not much is known about San Petronio, the patron saint of Bologna. He was born to a noble Roman who lived in Spain, where he grew up in wealth and, just like St. Francis of Assisi, he decided to renounce his high social position in favor of a religious life. He arrived in the city of Bologna in the early 5th century A.D., finding it sacked and destroyed by barbarian invasions, and he worked for the rebirth of the city, among other things, by building the marvelous Basilica of Santo Stefano. He became the bishop of Bologna, but for many centuries, nothing else was known about him until the Benedictine monks rediscovered his remains and some important relics in 1141, precisely in the monastery of Santo Stefano. It is said that the saint recovered these relics during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and now they are kept in a chapel inside the basilica, called the Chapel of Relics, located along the left side aisle of the church, in case you want to visit it. San Petronio was proclaimed the patron saint of the Municipality of Bologna in 1253, and since then, every October 4th, a day of festivities dedicated to the saint is celebrated with a very rich program of celebrations: a mass in his honor in the Basilica, live classical and light music concerts, sports events, food stands with local products, and finally, the traditional spectacular fireworks.

The Sundial

But there is something absolutely extraordinary inside this basilica, something that makes it unique in the world. Instead of clocks, this architectural wonder boasts a spectacular sundial measuring 67 meters in length, which runs across the floor of the church. Imagine entering this majestic basilica and walking alongside the iron line drawn on the ground, carefully and precisely engraved. As you take step after step, you will notice the zodiac signs, the months, and the equinoxes engraved on the line, allowing you to read solar time at any moment of the year, in any season. Behind this extraordinary creation is the figure of Domenico Cassini, a brilliant astronomy professor. Convinced that the motion of the planets depended on that of the Sun, Cassini worked hard and even drilled through the roof of the left nave of the church, at a stunning height of 27.07 meters, to guarantee maximum visibility of the Sun.

The Basilica of San Petronio, a spectacular symbol of Bologna, contains within it a thousand-year-old history and timeless artistic splendor. From our charming hotel in the historic center , it is located just 30 meters away, and you will not need to move by car, which can be kept in our private parking in Bologna ! From here, you will be completely immersed in its history and will be able to savor the magnificence of the architecture and the sacredness of the environment that captivate the senses. Do not hesitate to visit it, it will be an unforgettable experience.
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