#san procolo

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San Procolo: un enigma agiografico http://ift.tt/2kRcTj7

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1809, Napoleone sovrano di Terni

1809, Napoleone sovrano di Terni

Napoleone s’incorona Re d’Italia Il 4 agosto 1809 Terni diventava una città dell’impero francese a tutti gli effetti. Da quel giorno, infatti, mutò il suo status di città sotto tutela militare in quello di Municipio del Regno d’Italia, di cui Napoleone Bonaparte s’era autoproclamato sovrano. Quel giorno, l’amministrazione transitoria nominata dai generali dell’esercito di Francia, finiva e Terni…

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Avendita, la guerra e i "Piccoli martiri"

Avendita, la guerra e i “Piccoli martiri”

La piazza di Avendita, piccolo centro sull’altopiano tra Cascia e Norcia

“Siamo in centoquaranta a abitare qui. Che facciamo? Chi ce l’ha e chi ce la fa tira avanti la campagna. Gli altri…”. A Avendita la “fabbrica” più grossa, quella che assicura lo stipendio ai più, è l’Inps. Dalla strada che collega Norcia e Cascia tagliando in due l’altopiano, Avendita pare un bel paesino: case rimesse a…

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Lorenzo Monaco

St Anthony the Abbot, detail from the "Trittico di San Procolo", 1415

Firenze, Gallerie dell'Accademia

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Lorenzo Monaco

Trittico di San Procolo, 1410-15

Firenze, Gallerie dell'Accademia

[ctinitalia]

Le Chiese a Bologna: 1 & 2

My first adventure was to Chiesa di San Procolo, the one I pass every day on my walk home. It is humble from the outside - the facade is fairly simple upon first glance but somehow gets more and more beautifully detailed the closer you get.

It was built on the ruins of an ancient church from 300 BC and has a pretty Gothic appearance from the 14th and 15th centuries. However it's been renovated and has changed a ton since then - for example, it used to house a crypt, which was later demolished in 1537. Regardless it holds some pretty cool history.

San Procolo was one of the first martyrs of Bologna - he died in 304 AD and I read this morning that his remains are held in this church. I didn't realize that meant they'd be on display, lit up inside the center of the main altar.

Also, the fresco painting in the enclave behind the altar is actually HUGE and offers a pretty gory depiction of Procolo being beheaded. (Under holy light from above, of course.) The real light from above comes from an oculo reminiscent of that in the Roman Pantheon.

The church is the perfect size - small enough to be humble; large enough to be breathtaking. The simple circular window at the entrance is actually inlaid with some gorgeous stained glass, which you can kind of see here -

In all aspects in which San Procolo was delicate, the next church - Basilica di San Domenico - was showy. Even the facade is more intricate:

The inside of the church is excessively decorative because (even though it was built almost a thousand years ago and devoted to San Domenico in the 13th century) the interior was completely renovated in the 18th century in a Baroque style. Imagine fancy white marble statues and tens (almost hundreds) of chandeliers. A couple are shown here:

San Domenico came to Bologna in 1218 and pretty much founded the Dominican Order here (held the first two General Chapters of the order in this church in 1220 and 1221) and died in Bologna, so this basilica is kind of a big deal. Not to mention, the saint himself is buried here behind the altar of San Niccolò. In a similar fashion, there is some perfectly preserved body in a side chapel, but I was too creeped out to get close and read the plaque, and I can't quite distinguish from online descriptions.

Every enclave/chapel of this church is high-ceiling'd and decked out with vibrant paintings, especially the Capella del Rosario, devoted to Mary and the Rosary (which the Dominicans helped spread the use of) seen here:

The whole church has a very museum-like aura and, left and right, offering boxes beg you for 20 cents. There isa small museum of art and even a small library (both of which I passed by) but fun fact: somewhere in here is an organ that a young Mozart played when passing through Bologna in 1769! (I didn't find that either.)

Nel complesso, it was fascinating to view the stark contrast between two churches mere blocks from each other. Both were astonishing in their own ways, and both instill such a sense of silent reverence that I felt guilty taking pictures or even taking footsteps that echoed throughout.

This has been a thoroughly long text and picture post; I'm sure you feel as exhausted from it as I did! I peeked in Basilica di San Petronio this afternoon but after my adventures this morning, I'd realized just how long it takes me to fully appreciate each church here - so the rest are adventures for another day :)

CT

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