Bologna
Posted by Martin Orr on Monday, 07 August 2006 at 08:37
Yesterday I had to change trains in Bologna, so I stopped there for a while and looked around. It is the site of the oldest university in the western world, founded in 1088. In the twelfth century, they were already running out of accommodation for students, and so existing buildings were extended by adding portici: arcades which cover the pavements and have more rooms on top. Newer buildings have continued to add these, and most streets are lined with portici. This is nice because you can walk in the shade; it must be handy when it rains too. With all these advantages, more cities should adopt this style.
The cathedral looks pretty odd: it was intended to be bigger than St Peter's in Rome but in 1565 (after 175 years of building) Pope Pius IV told them to stop and spend their money on a new university building instead. This means that the bottom third of the facade has been covered with marble but the rest is still all brick.
Now in: Pisa, but staying in Florence
-- Martin