Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/24

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18 BOLOGNA towers (torro degli Asinelli and torre Garisen- da or Mozztt), respectively about 300 and 150 ft. high, and built in the 12th century. Remains of similar towers exist in various parts of the city. Conspicuous among the houses are the casa Rossini, in the via Maggiore, built in 1825 by that composer, who long resided here ; the casa Lambertini, in the via della Oampana, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XIV. ; that of the Leaning Towers, Bologna. electrician Galvani, in the borgo delle Oasse ; and the residences once occupied by the paint- ers Guercino and Guido. There are about 130 churches, including the ancient cathedral, re- stored in the 17th and 18th centuries, with famous relics and pictures ; the elegant church of San Bartolommeo di Ravegnana, of the 17th century, on the site of one built by St. Petronius; San Bartolommeo di Reno, with paintings by the Carracci ; and San Domenico, with the tombs of St. Dominic, King Enzio, Taddeo Pepoli, and Guido. The church of San Francesco, behind the post office, which was one of the most extensive of all, was converted in 1798 into the custom house, but has lately been restored. Its bell tower is one of the finest in Bologna. The monument of Pope Alexander V., who was buried in this church, has been removed to the Oampo Santo. The basilica of San Petronio, founded in 1390, is the largest church of Bologna, and, though un- finished, one of the most imposing, especially in the interior ; over the great door stood the colossal bronze statue of Pope Julius II., by Michel Angelo, which was destroyed in 1511. The emperor Charles V. was crowned here by Clement VII. (1530), and the meridian line by Cassini was traced on its floor in 1653. Espe- cially noticeable for its great antiquity and ex- tent among the other churches is that of San Stefano, formed by the union of seven chapels, and presenting a labyrinth-like and strikingly medieval appearance. The university, which is said to have been founded by Theodosius II. in 425, and is celebrated as the oldest in Italy and as the first to confer academical de- grees, was the principal seat of learning in the middle ages, and acquired special renown in jurisprudence in the 12th century by the in- fluence of Irnerius. Many thousand students gathered there in that period from all parts of Europe. Medicine, the arts, and theology were taught subsequently, in addition to civil and canon law. In the 14th century dissection was practised there for the first time, and at a later period its renown was increased by the discovery of galvanism. Many learned women acquired distinction here as teachers, and more recently in the chair of anatomy. The univer- sity is still attended by about COO students an- nually, and retains a high reputation, chiefly in medicine. It was richly endowed by many of the German emperors, especially by Fred- erick I., by the princes of Italy, and by several popes ; and the Bolognese were so proud of it that they had the academical motto, Bononia docet, engraved upon their coins. The library, in which Mezzofanti was employed for some time, contains about 200,000 volumes and 6,000 MSS. The institute of science was founded in 1690 by Count Marsigli, the friend of New- ton, who also secured the establishment of an observatory, an anatomical museum, and a botanical garden, and presented the city with collections of natural history and scientific instruments. These various institutions are in the imposing palace of the university, in the strada San Donate, formerly the palazzo Cel- lesi. In the same street, in a former convent, is the academy of fine arts, or accademia Cle- mentina, founded by Pope Clement XIII., with the celebrated pinacoteca or gallery of paint- ings by Bolognese masters. The oploteca con- tains a collection of arms and a library, and on the ground floor are various schools of design. Among the great educational institutions and public buildings is the archiginnasio, with a public library, the gift of Magnani, a native of Bologna, The Venturoli college, founded in 1825 by the architect of that name, is in the locality formerly used as the Hungarian col- lege, and is an architectural school for students below the age of 20. Among the various so- cieties is one for agriculture, and a Socratic society for humanitarian purpcses. Bologna boasts of being the most musical city of Italy, and in 1872 conferred the freedom of the city upon Richard Wagner. The accademia filar- monica has a wide reputation, as well as the li- ceo filarmonico in the convent of San Giacomo, which is a musical school with a library of 17,000 volumes of printed music and the col- lections of Martini. The Zaproni theatre is the largest, and the Corso theatre, built in 1805, is the most popular. The Contavalli theatre was built in 1814, partly on the site of a former con-