Description of the attraction
The Bologna Cathedral, consecrated in honor of the Apostle Peter, is one of the main attractions of the city and the Metropolitanate of the Archbishop of Bologna. Most of the current building was built in the 17th century, and some parts have come down to us from the 16th century.
At the beginning of the 11th century, a church and a chapel already stood on the site of the cathedral, built in the architectural tradition of Ravenna. In 1141, the church burned down during a terrible fire, but half a century later it was restored and consecrated by Pope Lucius III. In 1396, a portico was added to the western façade. Later, in the late 15th century, Ferrara artists Francesco del Cossa and Ercole de Roberti worked on a cycle of frescoes in the Garganelli Chapel. Unfortunately, these frescoes were lost as a result of subsequent restoration work, only their fragments have survived.
In 1575, by order of Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti, a radical restructuring of the internal space of the church began, which by that time had become the chair of the Archbishop of Bologna. In its unchanged form, only the crypt and the Capella Maggiore have survived to us. Due to large-scale renovations in 1599, the ceiling of the cathedral collapsed, and it was decided to rebuild the entire building. Construction began in 1605 and was finally completed between 1743 and 1747.
The building of the old chapel with a round base has never been restored, although from the 13th century to the present day such proposals have appeared regularly. Today, only the remains of the outer walls can be seen.
The interior decoration of the current cathedral is made in the Baroque style and creates a feeling of grandeur and grandeur. Here you can see the creations of Ludovico Caracci, Alfonso Lombardi, Cesare Mauro Trebbi. And the bell tower can boast of a huge bell "La Nonna" ("grandmother" in Italian) - its weight is 3300 kg!
