Saturday 6 October. Off to Bologna station this morning (we’ve worked out the platform system!) and jumped on a regional train for the 30 minute ride to Modena, of balsamic vinegar fame. First stop there was the old town centre and the UNESCO-listed cathedral – one of the finest Romanesque churches in Italy, dating from 1099. Apart from the elaborate crypt where St Geminianus lies, the church was dark and gloomy, perhaps exaggerated by the scaffolding supporting the restoration work being done in the nave. After lunch in the undercover fresh food markets (lasagne, and ravioli filled with ricotta and sage) we took a long, slow walk through the open-air antique market, then visited a few more local churches before afternoon tea of cheesecake and chocolate cake. We returned to Modena station by way of the public park and gardens and, back in Bologna, set off to explore more churches. First, the Basilica di San Dominico. The basilica was built in 1238 to house the remains of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order. His elaborately-carved sarcophagus lies in a beautiful capella (chapel). Michelangelo carved one of the angels alongside the altar in the chapel when he was just 19, and Mozart played the organ at this basilica when he spent a month at the city’s music academy. We also visited the Basilica of San Paolo Maggiore, built in 1611, and the relatively modern (1883) Church of San Procolo where Saint Procolos bones had pride of place in a glass cabinet. A highlight of the day was the walk back to our apartment in the late afternoon. Via Ugo Bassi and several of its adjoining streets, which we had seen to be filled with a constant stream of cars, buses and motorcycles during the day, were all closed off to vehicular traffic, allowing literally thousands of people to stroll along, walking their dogs, stopping in the middle of the street to chat with friends, listening to live bands spaced along the way, or dining at street-side cafes and restaurants. It was a wonderful sight to see so many people getting so much enjoyment from such simple activities.
Tomorrow: the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca (and anything else we’ve missed in Bologna).
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