Visit San Matteo della Decima, Tourism and travel tips

The Square of Neptune

Bologna, the Fountain of Neptune

One of the symbols of Bologna, the giant statue of the god Neptune, Nettuno in Italian, crowns a fountain of sculptures in the centre of Piazza del Nettuno.

Completed in 1567, the fountain was commissioned by Cardinal Carlo Borromeo who assigned the project to the architect Tommaso Laureti. However, it was the sculptor Jean Boulogne (known as Giambologna or Giovanni da Bologna), famous for the sculpture of the Rape of the Sabine Women in Florence, who created the celebrated bronze statue of Nettuno to top Laureti's design.

Locally referred to as il Gigante (the Giant), the god Neptune stands majestically above delightful sculptures of cherubs and nereids with four water spouts representing the major rivers of four continents.

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Bologna seen with Pier Paolo Pasolini's eyes

Pier Paolo Pasolini while shooting

Pier Paolo Pasolini, was born in Bologna in 1922 by a middle-class family, where he will spend seven years of his life ("Beautiful and sweet Bologna! I have spent seven years, perhaps the most beautiful ..."). Here Pier Paolo cultivated new passions, such as football and fuelled his passion for reading includes several volumes of used books at the stalls of the Porch of Death. Pasolini has a fond memory of the city and he is impressed by the large square (Piazza Maggiore), heart of the city center of civil and religious life in Bologna. He remembers the great unfinished cathedral, made of traditional red brick and the lace that extends to the houses and the surrounding roofs, which make Bologna worthy of the name “La Rossa”. He often recalls the Town Hall, with its solemn ogival arcades, and the famous Portici, which run in the city for 40 km, from the elegant Church of the Servants of Piazza Malpinghi, not only an architectural element but the essence and the mood of the city. During the summer months they are an excellent protection from the sun and during the coldest months a perfect shelter from the rain. Bologna is to him a fascinating city with a simple living, simple but beautiful, which give rise to new ideas and interests. At Liceo Galvani in Bologna his school career continued with excellent results. He enrolled as, just seventeen, the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Bologna and discovered new passions, such as Romance languages, especially the aesthetics of fine arts.

While attending the Film Club of Bologna where he became fond with the cycle of films of René Clair, he devoted himself to the sport of football and was promoted to captain of the Faculty of Arts, he was cycling with friends and attending summer camps organized by the University of Bologna. Here one can see “Bologna la Dotta”, with the presence of one of the oldest university in Italy which continues today to be attended by numerous Italian and foreign students, and to maintain its role as a very active cultural center, always open to new and creative ideas. And in this Bologna, so lively and changing, Pasolini realizes he cannot come back, not for a fault, but for a value: the richness of life, cultural exchange and ideas that make Bologna so interesting and always different.

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Enzo Ferrari, king of Modena Motorvalley

Modena, vintage Ferrari exhibition

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena, on the 18 February 1898; his mother, Adalgisa Bisbino, was original of Forlì, while his father Alfredo was from Carpi, near Modena. He was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, founder of the vehicle manufacturer whose sports section, Scuderia Ferrari won, during his lifetime, 9 World Championships Formula 1 drivers and 15 in total. He is still one of the figureheads of the best quality of Modena, and for this reason, particularly beloved: passion for work, resourcefulness, courage and creativity in the choices as ingredients of his success. Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, is a land of motors, here in the heart of the "motorvalley" the passion for mechanics has a long tradition and the myth of speed is an integral part of culture. Racing cars and luxury cars have entered into legend, becoming a "collector items" and bringing to the world the name of Modena. The Ferrari Gallery was opened in February 1990, the interpretation of the exhibition reflects the spirit of Enzo Ferrari's progress, improvement and new challenges, knowing that the better car is still to be built. The office of Enzo Ferrari is off great interest, here some important relics for the company's history are clearly visible. In addition to the Galleria Ferrari, within a few kilometres there are several sites dedicated to motor vehicles, factories, museums and private collections. The House of Enzo Ferrari is a typical Modenese house, with a farmyard and a courtyard where the focus is not only the engines but also on agriculture and gastronomy. This reminds us how the beautiful Modena as well as the home of motors is also home to many other passions; the Este ancient capital with its Cathedral, the Ducal Palace, the Synagogue, its museums, its centre ... without forgetting the symbol of the town, Tower Ghirlandina, which together constitute with the Duomo and Piazza Grande a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beauty. Modena is lively, full of passions and artistically rich, therefore it has a lot to offer to anyone who wants to discover it.

scritto da wUmrLVWz wUmrLVWz - ultima modifica il 15/11/2021

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The Square of Neptune

Bologne (24,9Km)Bologna's Mercato di Mezzo

Bologne (24,9Km)Bologna seen with Pier Paolo Pasolini's eyes

Modena (25,1Km)Enzo Ferrari, king of Modena Motorvalley

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