Saturday May 6, 2023
An easy morning today as our itinerary is not that full. Gwen is not feeling well so it looks like we are on our own again. Maybe they are just getting tired of us. We do not get out until about 1030 which for us is a late start. We check out a couple of churches on the way to the Civic Medieval Museum. One church has a beautiful carved stone altarpiece and the other has a cool lion pedestal for the font and floor mosaics and is devoted to Saint Filippo Neri.
We reach the Medieval Museum and head inside. It is housed in the Palazzo Ghisilardi an important building from when Bologna was under the domain of the Bentivoglio family (1446-1506). One of the first things we see is a Unicorn Horn from 1660. Really it is the tusk of a narwhale but it was displayed in the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities in its day. Another interesting curiosity is a pair of stilts complete with shoes made out of ivory. That could not have been comfortable. there are stone sculptures depicting Justice and the patron saints of Bologna, one of which holds the city in his hands. We also see a bronze ewer in the shape of a knight from the Rhine region of Germany. A ewer was commonly used to serve drinks at banquets and also functioned as ceremonial objects. I hope you learned something. We have and it also may help in a game of scrabble.
There are papal rings and a tomb of a Bolognese knight Filippo di Desideri from 1315 which came from the church of San Dominica. I like a bronze sculpture of a hedgehog. There is also a really nice action sculpture of St Michael the archangel vanquishing a demon dated from 1647. Another interesting item is the papal rapier of Ludovico Bentivoglio. It was given to him in 1455 by Pope Nicolo V in recognition for his work as a moderator and peacemaker among the Bolognese Factions. There are inscriptions by the Pope on it and it is accompanied by its original case. As we travel around, it is amazing how much of this ancient history has been preserved.
We then come to a section filled with medieval weaponry. From shields to crossbows to flails to guns, it is a nice collection. Many of the guns have intricate artwork and carvings on the weapons. There is a comb made out of bone with scenes carved on both sides of it depicting the assasination of King Edward II of England killed in 1327. Then we come to some Murano glassworks. Plates and other items of interest such as a pair of flasks with the Bentivoglio and Sforza coats of arms on them. As you can probably tell, we really enjoyed this museum. It is nicely laid out and most items have good history and explanations in English.
We leave the museum and head out to find some of the hidden canals in Bologna. Bologna was a technologically advanced city with water from the canals powering mills which ground flour and spun silk. The 36 mile network of canals are pretty much obscured by the expansive city. We do manage to find a few including the famous and very touristy la finestrela alla piccolo Venezia (the window to small Venice). It is a very small hinged window that you open to view a small section of Canal. We get into the line of people who go up to it and take their pictures opening and closing the small window. The canal itself is not very full of water but is picturesque nonetheless.
Our last stop of the day, because it is included in our Welcome Card, and we have time is the International Museum of music. It has a few interesting items. There is a composition signed by a young 14 year old Mozart which was in preparation for his entry exam into the Accedemia Fillarmonica. There are interesting instruments we never heard of such as the rare heckelphon which is similar to an oboe but very oddly shaped. Another is a buccin, shaped like a trombone but complete with a dragon head horn. It is a fun and fairly quick visit as the museum is not very large. As we go back to meandering the streets, we come across some more modern instruments being played by a group of young men in the streets. The music has more of a Spanish flair than Italian but is fun to listen to. We squeeze in another church on the way home and then just relax until dinner time.
Dinner is at Trattoria Amedeo, a restaurant that Dave and Gwen had went to and liked. We are just a threesome tonight as Gwen is still not feeling well so stays home. Dave manages to drink her share of wine. We get lasagna, Veal with a lemon sauce and veal saltimboca. It is all pretty good and we get a gelato for dessert before heading back to the apartment to pack up for tomorrows train ride to Parma. We will meet them at the train station as Carol and I are walking the 1.4 miles and Dave and Gwen are taking a cab since his foot is still bothering him. We have really enjoyed Bologna but it is definitely a busier and larger city than we have been visiting. Still, it is very walkable and our location although far from the train station was close to the center and most of the sights we wanted to see. Tomorrow the land of cheese and ham.
Expenses Pizza at Le Due Torre Pizza 3.50E Dinner at Trattoria Amedeo 46.50E Gelato at Cremeria Islanda 7E Charming and Cosy Apartment 109.40E Walked 6.2 Miles
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