At the foot of the Northern Apennines, in the hillyarea in northern Italy, on the banks of the Reno River is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy - Bologna. It occupies an advantageous territorial position. The population of the city is 378 thousand people.
One of the main and most visited monumentsis the basilica of St. Petronius, which is recognized as one of the six largest churches in Europe. Its length - 132 meters, width - 66 meters, height - 51 meters. In 1390, at the initiative of the city authorities, the construction of a new large temple was begun. The project of the basilica was developed by Antonio di Vincenzo. She is an example of the late Gothic period.
The architect planned to build the largesttemple in the country. Construction of the basilica was delayed for centuries. Only in 1515, under the guidance of architect Arduino Arriguzzi, the interior decoration of the basilica was completed, but it remained without a main vault. Attempts to complete construction were undertaken in the nineteenth, and even in the twentieth century, but still the facade remains unfinished.
Bologna - Italy in miniature.So much of historical, cultural, architectural monuments, museums are concentrated here, that they could be enough for the whole country. Two falling towers are located in the city center. In the Middle Ages, they performed protective and residential functions.
In those days, it was necessary to defend not onlyfrom external enemies. The eleventh century is remembered by the fifty-year struggle for the right to appoint a bishop, which has become particularly acute between Emperor Henry the Fourth and Pope Gregory of the Seventh.
Исследователи считают, что возведение башен было connected with this period in the history of Bologna. According to the surviving records, at that time there were more than one hundred towers in the city. In the thirteenth century, they were destroyed or destroyed themselves. Of the 20 towers still preserved, the most famous are the Garizenda (48 m) and Azinelli (98 m).
Three rings of the fortress walls - so guarded fromfoes ancient bologna. Italy and Italians remember these buildings well. The fact is, the walls surrounding the city survived until the twentieth century, when they were destroyed in order to build roads.
Крупнейший в Италии железнодорожный узел, к тому Having its own airport, Bologna plays an important role in the country's transportation. An amazing city that ranks second in the country for the preservation of historical and cultural monuments - Bologna. Italy is proud of this city-monument. The country's leadership and ordinary citizens are making efforts to preserve the national wealth.
In 2000, the European Commission recognized that the European city of culture of 2000 is Bologna, whose attractions are World Heritage Sites.
