The Basilica Of San Petronio, The Fifth Largest In The World
The Basilica of San Petronio, in the Italian city of Bologna, is simply impressive. It is a temple of such dimensions that it pretends to be a giant that dominates the Plaza Mayor of Bologna. A most eclectic and lively urban space. A square that is absolutely impossible not to visit during a trip to Bologna.
The size of the Basilica of San Petronio
Let’s start talking about the most characteristic of the Basilica of San Petronio: its prodigious size. We are talking about a temple that reaches 130 meters in length, while its width is slightly less than half, 60 meters. And as for the third dimension, the height, its dome rises 45 meters above the ground.
However, it must be said that originally he still wanted to grow older, with the intention of surpassing Saint Peter of the Vatican. But the pope of the time prevented it, saying that there could be no church greater than his.
Saint Petronio, patron saint of Bologna
The Basilica of San Petronio is dedicated to the patron saint of Bologna. It was in this city where the saint served as bishop back in the 5th century.
However, as a curiosity, we will tell you that his relics did not rest in this temple until the year 2000. And that the basilica began to be built at the end of the fourteenth century.
However, and as we will see below, it is a work whose development has lasted hundreds of years. So much so that it was not consecrated until 1954. Anyway, we are going to tell you something about its history.
History of the Basilica of San Petronio
The beginning of the works of the Basilica of San Petronio took place in the year 1390. Some works that had to follow the project of the architect Antonio Vincenzi. However, just a dozen years later, with the death of the architect, there was a significant stoppage of work.
From here the construction work was going to extend until the seventeenth century. But not only that, but the façade of the basilica still remains unfinished today. In fact, it only has its marble decoration in the lower area.
In large part, the tortuous construction development of this church is due to the fact that the project was very ambitious. Neither more nor less than they wanted to make the largest church in the world. Something that in itself carries its risks.
But in addition, there was the opposition of the papacy. In fact, in the 16th century, Pius IV, to prevent the Bolognese temple from being larger than the Vatican, had a university building built on a nearby site. In this way he managed to prevent the temple from continuing to grow.
Besides, that also had another consequence. Being so ambitious, the authorities in Rome did not grant it the rank of cathedral. That is why the temple was not the seat of the diocese and its category is that of a basilica.
The interior of the Basilica of San Petronio
Beyond these disputes, the truth is that the Basilica of San Petronio has a maximum interest. The greatest Italian architects have passed through here, such as Andrea Palladio, famous for his Venetian villas; Vignola, who worked with Miguel Ángel; or Rainaldi, who provided the temple with an outstanding decorative program in the Baroque style.
In addition to its architectural aspects, there are also many jewels inside. Some in the form of Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque paintings. Among all this, perhaps the most renowned are the frescoes in the Bolognini Chapel, painted by Giovanni de Modena.
A curiosity inside the basilica
Another element to pay attention to when visiting the Basilica of San Petronio is a long meridian line. It is a line drawn by the astronomer G. Domenico Cassini in the mid-17th century. Still today, with its 65 meters, it is the largest meridian that can be seen in the world.
