Bologna

It took us about 3 1/2 hours to arrive in Bologna after leaving Rome. The most famous king from Bologna was King Gregory responsible for the Gregorian calendar. When King Gregory started the calendar 10 days were skipped and then 365 days were dedicated to each year with an extra day added ever four years - a leap year.
We saw Neptune's Fountain built in 1564 - controversial with sensuous mermaids. This is a very old city with modern buildings about 300 years old. Most buildings are at least 500 years old. In the center of the town we saw gallows used from 1604 - 1854. Bologna is well known for overhangs on all it's buildings, originally created to house students for extra income. The added advantage is that no umbrella is needed when it is raining. Bologna is an intellectual center for Italy, having more universities than any other place in Italy. Bologna had the first Medical School in the world. Unfortunately we couldn't see the spot where the first anatomy was performed because it was Sunday and most places were closed; I did however walk there and took a picture of the outside of the school.
A large building toward the center of town was once a prison. The son of an emperor was arrested and lived most of his life in the cushy castle fathering 84 children during his stay. It is claimed that he enjoyed life and lived into his 80's, much longer than all his free relatives.
We saw the St. Petronus Cathedral, the 3rd largest church in the world. This church is wrought with controversy. At one time it was controlled by a noble family from 1390 - 1507. The Pope seized control and had the family killed. There had been plans to add to the cathedral but that would have made the cathedral larger than St. Peters Basilica in Rome; construction was ended leaving a wing partially completed and it has remained that way for over 500 years. The front of the building looks very odd with the top half in a different facade than the bottom half. But that is not where the controversy ends. There are 22 chapels with 11 chapels lining each side in the back half of the cathedral. One of the chapels has a painting similar to the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel and in the hell part there is a monster that is alleged to be eating Brutus and Judas from two different mouths. But there is also a man with his foot on the monster and that man has a name printed as Mohammad. The cathedral has many threats for Muslim bombings, which is probably why no pictures cold be taken in the cathedral and security was increased. The cathedral also had a sun dial that was very cool as it identified noon for ever day of the year.
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