Museo San Colombano

Yesterday, Mui was going to drag me shopping — kicking and screaming, I might add. I don’t like shopping … all the more so when it is so hot outside and everything I try on sticks to me. I got a last-minute reprieve when Amazon texted us that a package scheduled to arrive on Saturday was going to be delivered early. That reprieve was short-lived, however.

So, we went out this morning … seeking the shade afforded by porticos where we could. First up … cappuccino and cornetto for breakfast. Then … shopping, followed by lunch at a recent addition to our favorite restaurants list… San Pietro.

We then decided to seek out some culture and fun … in the form of a museum just a few steps from the restaurant.

Museo San Colombano is part of the Genus Bononiae Museums … a cultural, artistic, and museum circuit in Bologna that is owned and managed by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio. These museums are housed in historic buildings that have been restored to showcase Bologna’s 2,500 years of history, art, and heritage.

San Colombano, located in a restored monastery complex dating to the 7th century, is home to the Tagliavini Collection of Musical Instruments … mostly keyboards collected by Maestro Luigi Ferdinand Tagliavini, himself an organist and musicologist.

There are harpsichords, pianofortes, spinets, organs, and more that span a period of over five centuries. All beautifully restored. Some, if not all, tuned to perfect pitch. We were lucky to hear the music coaxed out of several of the keyboards resonate within the old monastic walls.

In addition to the musical instruments — works of art in and of themselves — there were several beautiful frescoes … religious-themed as one might expect in a monastery. The one of the Madonna breast feeding baby Jesus was especially interesting. The fresco, which was painted in 1399, was placed on an exterior wall of the church in 1547. It became such a focal point for prayer that in 1592, the lay confraternity constructed a chapel around it.

After checking out the instruments and frescos in the oratory, which was built in 1592, we wrapped up our visit with peek into the crypt. Buried for centuries, the crypt was unearthed during the 2007 restoration of the church. There’s not much to see but ruins … with the exception of a what remains of a 13th century fresco of the crucifixion with the Virgin and St John. A nearby sign had information about small fragments of Renaissance frescoes that can be seen in the ruins of the apse. Unfortunately, it was too dark to make them out clearly.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the museum.

By the way, the admission fee was waived when we presented our Card Cultura at the ticket counter. I am ahead of the game now by €12; Mui’s still lagging behind by €3 😃.Read more