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Santo Stefano Church part 1
Santo Stefano basilica was dedicated to the first Christian martyr and was founded by St Petronius – the 8th Bishop of Bologna. According to legend he had visited the Holy Land as a boy and when he returned Petronius set about reproducing the seven holy sites in Jerusalem. In this way, pilgrims could at least make this shorter journey as a matter of symbolic gesture. Thus, this complex is also known locally as the Sette Chiese – Seven churches. The main façade here displays this external Renaissance style pulpit.
This first church of the Crucifixion was erected in the 11th century and shows here a raised choir. Under it is this ancient crypt which is also used for private mass or those seeking peaceful reflection away from the crowds that normally pass through Santo Stefano. The holy relics of Saints Vitale and Agricola are located at the front of the chapel here having been discovered in this area by St Ambrogio in the year 393.
Next door is the San Sepolcro whose origins lie between the 11-12th centuries. It’s an irregular shaped temple, modelled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
This odd looking pulpit adorned with reliefs is called the Edicola de San Petronio. The reliefs display angels and Evangelist symbolism. Underneath are the saint’s bones seen through a small window at ground level. The perimeter of 12 columns around the temple actually survive from the pagan goddess Isis.
Egyptian religion was commonly practiced by the Romans and even promoted by the Emperor Damitian. This circular temple was once used as a Christian baptistery from the 5th century but rebuilt in its present form in the 11th. One single column here is apparently that which Christ was bound during his flagellation.
Next door is this third church of Saints Vitale and Agricola, supposedly Bologna’s oldest. It was built in the 5th century and reflects a Romanic Lombard style. On the ground in the corner are relics from ancient Roman buildings while the windows are made from alabaster. The roof would have been thatched while internally is characterized by simple looking columns with finely designed capitals atop them.
Along the two lateral sides are the empty tombs of St Vitale and St Agricola. Along the right nave is this cross which legend records was the one in which St Agricola was martyred. The last work of art here is an ancient portrayal of the Holy Family.
From this church opens out into the Corte di Pilato, a squat looking courtyard that ominously displays an 8th century water basin in the center that gained the sinister reputation of being used by Pilate to wash his hands. It does however record an in inscription of the Lombard King Liutprando and Ilprando.
Finally, these icons of the Holy family date to the 14th century.
References
Dana Farcaros & Michael Pauls, Bologna & Emilia Romagna, London 2003.
Tiziano Costa – Marco Poli, Conoscere Bologna, Bologna 2004
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