Basilica di San Petronio

Sadly, the facade of this enormous Gothic basilica honoring the patron saint of Bologna was never completed. Legend has it that the construction was curtailed by papal decree when the Vatican learned that the Bologna city fathers had planned to erect a basilica larger than St. Peter's. Although the builders went to work in 1390, after 3 centuries the church was still not finished (nevertheless, Charles V was crowned emperor here in 1530). Jacopo della Quercia of Siena did grace the central door with a masterpiece Renaissance sculpture. Inside, the church could accommodate the traffic of New York's Grand Central Terminal. The central nave is separated from the aisles by pilasters shooting up to the ceiling's flying arches. Of the 22 art-filled chapels, the most interesting is the Bolognini Chapel (Cappella Bolognini), the fourth on the left as you enter; it's embellished with frescoes representing heaven and hell. The purity and simplicity of line represent some of the best of the Gothic in Italy.

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