Bologna Cathedral (Italian: Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Pietro, Cattedrale di Bologna), dedicated to Saint Peter, is the cathedral of Bologna in Italy, and the seat and the metropolitan cathedral of the Archbishop of Bologna. Most of the present building dates from the 17th century, with a few parts from the late 16th century.
Cathedral interior, looking towards the high altar
There was already a cathedral on the site (on the present Via Indipendenza) in 1028, accompanied by a pre-Romanesquecampanile with a circular base (in the architectural tradition of Ravenna). This church was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1141. It was reconstructed and consecrated by Pope Lucius III in 1184.
In 1396 a high portico (protiro) was added to the west front, which was rebuilt in 1467. From about 1477 the Ferrarese painters Francesco del Cossa and Ercole de' Roberti worked in the Garganelli Chapel on the creation of a cycle of frescoes which later had a significant influence on Niccolò dell'Arca and Michelangelo. The frescoes were lost in subsequent reconstruction except for a very few fragments.
In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII elevated the Bishop of Bologna to Archbishop, and accordingly the cathedral was elevated to the rank of "metropolitan church" (a bishop's seat with jurisdiction over other bishops and dioceses in its territory).
By order of Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti a radical remodelling of the interior of the building began in 1575, of which the crypt and the Greater Chapel (Capella Maggiore) survive. The alterations were so extensive however as to cause the vaults to collapse in 1599, and the decision was then made to rebuild the main part of the cathedral from scratch. Work on the new building started in 1605. A new façade was added between 1743 and 1747, to designs by the architect Alfonso Torreggiani, on the instructions of Pope Benedict XIV.
Description
Cappella Maggiore
The present interior is emphatically Baroque, giving an impression of majesty and grandeur. Among the works of art are an Annunciation by Ludovico Carracci (a fresco in the central lunette of the presbytery), a RomanesqueCrucifixion in cedarwood, and a sculptured group in terracotta depicting the Compianto su Cristo morto ("Lament over the Dead Christ"), by Alfonso Lombardi, of the early 16th century. In the apse are early 20th-century paintings by Cesare Mauro Trebbi (1847–1931) including Saint Anne in Glory.[1]
Alfonso Lombardi, Compianto su Cristo morto (early 16th century)Romanesque altar crucifix from cedar wood, 12th century
Campanile
The early campanile is 40 metres (130 feet) tall with a circular base has never been rebuilt. Instead, a new, external bell tower with a height of 70 metres (230 feet) was built around the existing one sometime between the 12th and 13th centuries. The campanile is the second tallest tower in Bologna, behind the Asinelli Tower.[2]
The bell tower accommodates the bell known as "La Nonna", which at a weight of 3,300 kilograms (7,300lb) is the largest bell that can be rung by the Bolognese method of bell-ringing.[3]
Notes
↑ Fonte: Guida di Bologna, Guido Ricci (5th edn.), p. 176
↑ "Il campanile". APS Bologna storica e archeologica (in Italian). 2019-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
The Basilica of San Petronio is a minor basilica and church of the Archdiocese of Bologna located in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, northern Italy. It dominates Piazza Maggiore. The basilica is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the bishop of Bologna in the fifth century. Construction began in 1390 and its main facade has remained unfinished since. The building was transferred from the city to the diocese in 1929; the basilica was finally consecrated in 1954. It has been the seat of the relics of Bologna's patron saint only since 2000; until then they were preserved in the Santo Stefano church of Bologna.
Genoa Cathedral or Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Lawrence is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Italian city of Genoa. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Genoa. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II in 1118 and was built between the twelfth century and the fourteenth century as fundamentally a medieval building, with some later additions. Secondary naves and side covers are of Romanesque style and the main facade is Gothic from the early thirteenth century, while capitals and columns with interior corridors date from the early fourteenth century. The bell tower and dome were built in the sixteenth century.
Perugia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Perugia, Umbria, central Italy, dedicated to Saint Lawrence. Formerly the seat of the bishops and archbishops of Perugia, it has been since 1986 the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Perugia-Città della Pieve.
Padua Cathedral, or Basilica Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, is a Catholic church and minor basilica located on the east end of Piazza Duomo, adjacent to the bishop's palace in Padua, Veneto, Italy.
Trento Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Trento, northern Italy. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trento, and until 1802, was the seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Trent. It was built over a pre-existing 4th-century church devoted to Saint Vigilius, patron saint of the city.
Fiesole Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Saint Romulus of Fiesole, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fiesole, Tuscany, central Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Fiesole and is dedicated to Saint Romulus.
Foligno Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral situated on the Piazza della Repubblica in the center of Foligno, Italy. The cathedral, built on the site of an earlier basilica, is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, the martyr Felician of Foligno, who was buried here in 251 AD. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno. It contains the cathedra for the Diocese of Foligno.
Acqui Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the city of Acqui Terme, in the province of Alessandria and the region of Piedmont, Italy. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, it is the seat of the Bishop of Acqui.
Matera Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Matera, Basilicata, Italy. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the designation of the Madonna della Bruna and to Saint Eustace. Formerly the seat of the Bishops, later Archbishops, of Matera, it is now the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Agatha, usually known as the Catania Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was the seat of the Bishops of Catania until 1859, when the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese, and since then has been the seat of the Archbishops of Catania.
Manfredonia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Manfredonia in Italy, dedicated to Saint Laurence of Siponto, one of the patron saints of the city. Formerly the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Siponto, later known as Manfredonia, it is now the seat of the Archbishop of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo.
Cesena Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in the city of Cesena, Italy. It has been the episcopal seat of the present Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina since 1986, and was previously that of the Diocese of Cesena.
Benevento Cathedral is a church in Benevento, southern Italy. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishops of Benevento. It dates from the Lombard foundation of the Duchy of Benevento, in the late 8th century, but after its destruction during Allied bombings in the course of World War II, it was largely rebuilt in the 1960s.
Treviso Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Treviso, Veneto, northern Italy, dedicated to Saint Peter. It is the seat of the bishop of Treviso.
Ancona Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Ancona, central Italy, dedicated to Saint Cyriacus. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Ancona. The building is an example of mixed Romanesque-Byzantine and Gothic elements, and stands on the site of the former acropolis of the Greek city, the Guasco hill which overlooks Ancona and its gulf.
Terni Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Terni, Umbria, Italy, and the seat of the bishop of Terni-Narni-Amelia. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Tivoli Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to Saint Lawrence, in Tivoli, Lazio, Italy. It is the seat of the bishop of Tivoli.
Otranto Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Italian city of Otranto, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It is the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Otranto. The cathedral was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 metres long by 25 metres wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns from unknown quarries. Its plan is a three-aisled nave with an apsidal east end. On either side of the west façade are two lancet windows.
Avellino Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Modestinus in Avellino, Campania, Italy. It is the seat of the bishops of Avellino.
Fano Cathedral is the principal church of Fano, Marche, Italy. Originally the seat of the bishop of Fano, since 1986 it has been the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola. In January 1953 Pope Pius XII elevated it to the rank of a basilica minor.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
