thomistica
  • Home
  • News
  • Posts
  • Essays
  • Book Reviews
  • Texts and Links St. Thomas' Last Days Pictures Duane Berquist Audio Commentary on Prima Pars, Part One Commentary on Prima Pars, q.3 Commentary on 1a, qq. 3-7 Commentary, qq. 8-10 Commentary, 1a q. 11 - q. 12 a. 5 SCG Title SCG Intro
  • SUBMIT
  • Contact
thomistica
  • Home/
  • News/
  • Posts/
  • Essays/
  • Book Reviews/
  • Other/
    • Texts and Links
    • St. Thomas' Last Days
    • Pictures
    • Duane Berquist Audio Commentary on Prima Pars, Part One
    • Commentary on Prima Pars, q.3
    • Commentary on 1a, qq. 3-7
    • Commentary, qq. 8-10
    • Commentary, 1a q. 11 - q. 12 a. 5
    • SCG Title
    • SCG Intro
  • SUBMIT/
  • Contact/
L’Arca di san Domenico
thomistica

A SITE DEVOTED TO THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, SPONSORED BY THE SACRA DOCTRINA PROJECT

Bologna (February 2005) — Mark Johnson

During a frenzied four days in February, 2005, I went to Bologna to participate in a conference on Dominican education at the University of Bologna. What an intense visit; I spent the whole four days in about a five-block area, drinking in deeply the Church of Saint Dominic, Dominic's tomb, and the display of the place's relics (including an autograph of St. Thomas, and one of his fingers [!!!]).

thomistica
  • Home/
  • News/
  • Posts/
  • Essays/
  • Book Reviews/
  • Other/
    • Texts and Links
    • St. Thomas' Last Days
    • Pictures
    • Duane Berquist Audio Commentary on Prima Pars, Part One
    • Commentary on Prima Pars, q.3
    • Commentary on 1a, qq. 3-7
    • Commentary, qq. 8-10
    • Commentary, 1a q. 11 - q. 12 a. 5
    • SCG Title
    • SCG Intro
  • SUBMIT/
  • Contact/
L’Arca di san Domenico

L’Arca di san Domenico

The tomb of St Dominic (“L’Arca di san Domenico”) was sculpted first by Nicola Pisano (around 1267), showing scenes from the life of St. Dominic. In this panel, Dominic is having a vision of Ss. Peter and Paul, who commanded him to “Go out and preach.” Dominic took this as a command to disperse the Brethren of the Order throughout the world (according to Constantine of Orvieto’s life of Dominic). It is possible that St Thomas would have seen these panels.

Dominic's Reliquary

Dominic's Reliquary

Behind (and under) Dominic’s tomb is this golden reliquary, which contains Dominic’s skull.

Front of the tomb

Front of the tomb

The straight-on view of the tomb, with another of the panels sculpted by Nicola Pisano, showing the cure and conversion of Reginald of Orleans (on the left) and Innocent III’s dream about St Dominic and how his order would save the Church.

Colonnades in Bologna

Colonnades in Bologna

The center of Bologna is effectively one large cloister, with colonnades threading throughout the city. Here is a shot of one such colonnade, near San Domenico.

Huh?

Huh?

I am soooooo trading in my Hummer to get this little car!

San Domenico from the front

San Domenico from the front

This is San Domenico, taken from directly in front. It is far to say that this church underwent dozens of alterations throughout its history (built, added to, suppressed, reacquired, restored, bombed, restored, restored). Poor thing.

San Domenico at night

San Domenico at night

San Domenico at night. Darn this slow film! I couldn’t find any film faster than 100 ASA in the tabacchi near San Domenico. Peccato.

San Domenico from the hotel

San Domenico from the hotel

From atop my hotel in Bologna (a wonderful place called Hotel Touring, just a block away from San Domenico) I could see San Domenico, through a sea of terra cotta rooftops. The picture didn’t turn out very well, but PhotoShop and AutoFX’s AutoEye helped out.

Nevica qui a Bologna?

Nevica qui a Bologna?

Going out from my hotel I saw…snow? I hadn’t planned on this.

Inside the cloister at San Domenico

Inside the cloister at San Domenico

I came over to the cloister at San Domenico to get a tour of the whole place. But it really is snowing.

More of the cloister

More of the cloister

More of the cloister. Beautiful green grass.

Another shot from inside the cloister

Another shot from inside the cloister

Another shot from inside the cloister.

Man, it really is snowing.

Man, it really is snowing.

After my tour I came out and, man, it really was snowing a lot. But I’m sure that the snow will stop in time for my plane departure the next morning…right?

A depth of field picture in the cloister

A depth of field picture in the cloister

Oh, well. I may just as well try taking a “depth of field” shot from here inside the now-blanketed cloister. Don’t focus in on the very front, but just behind it. Speed, stop, and click. It came out very nice.

St Dominic, come to my aid

St Dominic, come to my aid

St Dominic, perched on top of that column, takes it all in.

Ugh! Too much of a good thing.

Ugh! Too much of a good thing.

All this %#!&$ snow is going to make me miss my plane back home! (which it did!).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Previous Next
L’Arca di san Domenico
Dominic's Reliquary
Front of the tomb
Colonnades in Bologna
Huh?
San Domenico from the front
San Domenico at night
San Domenico from the hotel
Nevica qui a Bologna?
Inside the cloister at San Domenico
More of the cloister
Another shot from inside the cloister
Man, it really is snowing.
A depth of field picture in the cloister
St Dominic, come to my aid
Ugh! Too much of a good thing.
  • Home/
  • News/
  • Posts/
  • Essays/
  • Book Reviews/
  • Other/
    • Texts and Links
    • St. Thomas' Last Days
    • Pictures
    • Duane Berquist Audio Commentary on Prima Pars, Part One
    • Commentary on Prima Pars, q.3
    • Commentary on 1a, qq. 3-7
    • Commentary, qq. 8-10
    • Commentary, 1a q. 11 - q. 12 a. 5
    • SCG Title
    • SCG Intro
  • SUBMIT/
  • Contact/

thomistica

news

Featured
May 19, 2025
"Aquinas: Strategies and Methods" International Conference
May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
Apr 25, 2025
Call for Proposals: Society for Thomistic Personalism
Apr 25, 2025
Apr 25, 2025
Apr 8, 2025
Call for Papers: Reading the Gospel of Matthew with Thomas Aquinas
Apr 8, 2025
Apr 8, 2025
Mar 4, 2025
SDP's 2025 ACPA Call for Papers: Esse, Vivere, Intelligere
Mar 4, 2025
Mar 4, 2025
Jan 16, 2025
IHE Thomistic Graduate Seminar
Jan 16, 2025
Jan 16, 2025

POSTS

Featured
Feb 27, 2024
A Response to a Question Posed to Sed Contra on NFP and the Contraceptive Mentality
Feb 27, 2024
Feb 27, 2024
Nov 30, 2022
Calling All Teachers: Submit a Pedagogical Essay to Thomistica!
Nov 30, 2022
Nov 30, 2022
Nov 21, 2022
Submit an Essay to Thomistica!
Nov 21, 2022
Nov 21, 2022
Apr 6, 2021
Reading and Discussing the Summa Contra Gentiles in Latin
Apr 6, 2021
Apr 6, 2021
Mar 7, 2021
Buona festa di s. Tommaso!
Mar 7, 2021
Mar 7, 2021

Under the direction of the Sacra Doctrina Project