Tag: museo civico medievale

Postcard From Bologna, Italy: Yes, there was art before the Renaissance

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The Palazzo Ghisilardi serves as the home of Museo Civico Medievale in Bologna. The palace dates from the period, (1446-1506), when the Bentivoglio family controlled the city. Papal politics alternately kept or swept members of the Bentivoglio family in and out of power, often resulting in assassinations of the heads of the family.

Long lines form next door at the Palazzo Fava for the excellent Edward Hopper exhibition running through July 24, but the medieval collection can be viewed peacefully and leisurely.

 

Postcard from Bologna, Italy: Some of his students were clueless….

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How will the professor be remembered? As a genius plagued by lackluster students or as a pedantic lecturer boring his students to death?

Founded in 1088 and still operating, the University of Bologna is reputed to be the first university in the world. Its professors were considered elevated intellectuals in medieval times, so it was only fitting for their funereal monuments to aggrandize their academic accomplishments. Or did they?

Numerous examples of these memorials are housed in the Museo Civico Medievale. While the carvings are impressive, it is hard to determine whether the expressions on the faces of the students serve as commentaries on the quality of the student body or reviews of the professors’ lectures.

At any rate, with no ratemyprofessors.com available, the carved-in-stone critiques were executed way past the drop-course deadlines at the university.