Bologna afternoon

We came to Bologna to see two things: a few of the towers the city is famous for, and the Basilica of San Domenico. We were caught up in the crowded and busy streets, and little more than glimpsed the towers of Torri Degli Asinelli e Garisenda. The haphazardly constructed city is given a coherent look thanks to the sandstone and terracotta tiles with which everything seems to be built. One of the most striking features of the city are it's colonnaded sidewalks which crowd the street and bring the cool darkness of evening to the early afternoon. They are so striking in fact, that these Porticoes of Bologna are on the tentative list for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Eventually we navigated the maze and located the Basilica. It is easy to pick out, among all the like colored buildings because in front of it stands a tall pillar, topped by a statue of St. Dominic, and beside it is yet another column, this bearing a statue of Madonna of the Rosary.

The church has a baroque interior, full of marble, plaster, and paintings from vatious artists. Perched here and there, are life size plaster angels.

The church is the final resting place of St. Dominic, who once served in the church which was expanded and renamed San Domenico after the Saint's death. At the front of the church lies the impressive marble shrine. The shrine has a tower of its own, and two of the statuettes that grace it were early pieces by Michelangelo. The church is also the burial site of Guido Reni, who painted St. Dominic's Glory above St. Dominic's shrine.