Headed East

Getting out of Florence the next morning proved difficult:  an accident on the motorway had traffic backed up halfway to the city center.  But eventually we escaped the Tuscan capital and headed East towards Bologna.

My first goal was to see the oldest continually operating university.  Their original building is now the public library, with several of the halls left as they were in the Middle Ages.  Nice to see that professors got their own shields.  There's a tradition I could see reviving!

This is also where the Anatomical Theatre was located, where physicians used to dissect cadavers under the watchful eyes of the clergy, who made sure nothing inappropriate went on.

Next stop in Bologna was the Basilica of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order.  This is a gorgeous building, as befits the final resting place of the saint.  Unfortunately, the traffic in Florence meant an abbreviated stop in Bologna, so it was back to the bus.

The next stop was Padua, which has a delightful central park surrounded by a canal that is the second largest square in Europe.  Passing through this area, "the group" headed toward the Basilica of Saint Anthony, yet another popular pilgrimage destination.  The monument over the tomb of the saint inside was magnificent.  What differentiates this place from others I saw was the number of domes, six if I remember correctly.  But what I found most interesting was the statue of the saint in a side courtyard.  Visitors visitors must have been shaking hands with Saint Anthony for luck or blessings.

Leaving Bologna, we headed for the hotel outside Venice.  That night, after dinner, we took a boat to the main square, Piazza San Marco.  Finally, a name I can get into!  Since it was high tide, and Venice is slowly sinking into the sea, the north end of the square was covered with water.  Wading time!