Basilica San Domenico
The Basilica of San Domenico overlooks Via Garibaldi, not far from the elegant shops of the Pavaglione and Piazza Galvani. In medieval times this area was outside the city walls, as evidenced by the name of the church that stood where now the basilica stands, San Nicolò delle Vigne (literally, San Nicolò of the Vineyards).
The construction of San Domenico began in 1235, but the Dominican order had already resided in Bologna since 1218. A few years earlier, in fact, Pope Innocent III had finally approved the Dominican rule, and so it was that St. Dominic sent Blessed Louis of Orleans to the city with the task of finding land to erect the first Dominican monastery.
Once the ideal location for the future basilica had been found, the Dominicans had to move temporarily to the church of Santa Maria di Mascarella while waiting for the construction work to be completed.
The history of the basilica is closely linked to that of St Dominic, because the saint died in Bologna in 1221. It was natural then to dedicate the new basilica to the holy founder of the order, and to give him a magnificent burial place.
The exterior of the basilica we can see today is the result of renovations that altered its original form. On the other hand, we can admire a testimony of the ancient cemetery that surrounded it in the two raised arches located in the square, which house the remains of Rolandino de Passeggeri and Egidio Foscherari, protagonists of the Bolognese studium.
The Ark of San Domenico and the interior of the basilica
The interior of the basilica features many monuments of interest, starting with the
Arca di San Domenico, built to house the Saint's remains. Located in the largest chapel of the right nave, the ark was richly decorated by various sculptors over time, including Niccolò dell'Arca, Alfonso Lombardi and Nicola Pisano.
Michelangelo himself also contributed to the work: the great artist is credited with the figures of St. Petronius, St. Proculus and the angel holding the candle on the right of the central body.
The Rosary Chapel, located on the other side of the church, is also worth a visit. Commissioned by the Guidotti family, it was in fact frescoed by some of the most important painters of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as
Lavinia Fontana, the Carraccis, Guido Reni, Michele Colonna and others. This chapel is also the
burial place of Guido Reni himself and his assistant's daughter, the painter Elisabetta Sirani.
The basilica also houses other treasures. Not to be missed are Filippino Lippi's The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine, the organ played by Mozart during his stay in Bologna in 1770 and the inlaid wooden choir, made in the mid-16th century to a design by Fra Damiano da Bergamo. Inside we also find the monument to King Enzo, erected in memory of the death of the famous Bolognese monarch, which occurred after 23 years of imprisonment in the city.
As for the church's interior architecture, the space was originally divided into two parts by a partition, which was demolished in the 17th century. By that time, however, the building was too long and disproportionate. This was remedied by architect Carlo Dotti, who had also worked on the Basilica of San Luca. With the help of arches and architraves, Dotti gave the interior more movement and succeeded in finding the right solution to the excessive length of the basilica.
The monastery today
Although part of the building has become the property of the Carabinieri, the Dominican community still lives in the monastery of San Domenico, which also houses a Faculty of Theology and Philosophy.
Upon request, it is possible to visit the former seat of the city Inquisition and St. Dominic's cell, accompanied by the Dominican friars.
