Bologna - part 1

So apparently B-O-L-O-G-N-A isn't pronounced the way I was taught as a child. Oscar Meyer deceived us all.
Sarah and I went to investigate the matter one weekend and we didn't learn anything about low quality meat products. But we did learn many other things. At least I did. Sarah already knew everything since she had been there before. Here are some facts: Bologna was yet another Etruscan settlement that was conquered by the Romans. What is now called the University of Bologna (and was originally called the Studio) is the oldest university in the western world, having been established in 1088. It is also considered by some (depending on who you ask) to be the oldest continually operating degree-granting university in the world. Bologna had been one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe until much of it was destroyed by bombs in 1944. Bologna is well-known for its cuisine due to the area's location in the fertile Po River Valley. Despite this, Sarah and I were not thrilled by the food we had for dinner.
Anyway, on with our trip...


Some areas of town reminded me of an old American downtown area with its wires above.


Bologna is famous for its porticos. Many of the streets around town don't have sidewalks, but instead they have these covered walkways.


See. More porticos.


See. More porticos.


See. More porticos.


See. A church. This is Santo Stefano. This religious complex is often referred to as the Seven Churches. Unfortunately some of them were closed when we were there.


But here's the interior of one of them. There was a presentation going on, not a mass. The church was supposedly built over a temple of Isis.


This fountain was, uh, interesting. The figures around the bottom shoot water from their nipples. And why not, I ask you?


Behind the Nipple Fountain is the San Petronio Basilica in the Piazza Maggiore. It is supposed to be the fifth largest church in the world, and once was planned to be even larger than St. Peter's in Rome. Pope Pius IV didn't like that idea and demanded that the proposed addition of larger transepts be halted.


I guess this might have been the result. I don't know that for a fact.


This a building in front of which only white cars are allowed to park. That was tricky. I almost ended a sentence with a preposition. That would have been embarassing.


Here is the road to Venice. Actually, we don't know what the purpose of this canal is, but there was a boatload of people on it.


I certainly hope that this church moves the little store before mass starts.


While we were exploring Bologna we heard some music in the distance. It sounded very much like the music in The Godfather, part II when Vito wacks Fenucci during the religious parade.


According to a sign it was the Solemne Fiesta Paronal en Honor al Senor de los Milagros. A milagro is a miracle of the Lord and apparently involves the Holy Tweety Bird