Bologna Secrets – Study Italian in Italy

The Hidden Perfection: Fra Damiano’s Secret Marble “A” in San Domenico

The magnificent wooden choir of the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, created by Fra Damiano da Bergamo (1528-1550), featuring world-renowned Renaissance inlays.

🇬🇧 Inside the Basilica of San Domenico lies a wonderful detail that showcases the technical mastery of Fra Damiano da Bergamo, the artist who created the choir’s wood intarsia between 1528 and 1550. That tiny white marble “A”, inlaid with such precision that it looks painted, has become a “hidden treasure” for visitors. These choirContinue reading “The Hidden Perfection: Fra Damiano’s Secret Marble “A” in San Domenico”

Look Up! The Mystery of the Three Arrows in Corte Isolani.

Close-up detail of the 13th-century wooden ceiling beams at Corte Isolani in Bologna, showing one of the legendary medieval arrows stuck in the oak wood.

🇬🇧 If you haven’t seen the “Three Arrows” yet, or if you’ve only managed to spot one, it’s time to head to No. 19 Strada Maggiore. Here stands Casa Isolani, one of the rare surviving examples of 13th-century civil architecture. This extraordinary structure, with its 9-meter-high oak beams supporting the third floor, features one ofContinue reading “Look Up! The Mystery of the Three Arrows in Corte Isolani.”