In October, Bologna celebrates San Petronio, a figure who has remained in the hearts of all the citizens of Bologna and to whom the famous basilica is dedicated. What makes this great work special is not only the fact that the cathedral is the largest brick-built Gothic church in the World, but the profound significance it has always had for Bologna and the Bolognese people.

 

In the 14th century, Bologna's wealthy bourgeoisie had developed a deep political awareness and unity, and was also in strong economic and commercial competition with Milan and Florence, two very powerful poles at the time. For Bologna it was not possible to impose its power with weapons and swords, its supremacy had to be shown through architectural works of great difficulty. Thanks to this strong "competition" we owe the construction of the Basilica of San Petronio: Bologna did not want to remain impassive towards the two cities that had already begun the construction of their cathedral (Florence had already been building for more than a century, Milan a few years earlier) and decided, through its administrative council, to start work as soon as possible.

 

As we can see, the Basilica of San Petronio would have been built by civic and not ecclesiastical will like the cathedrals of Milan and Florence. It has been a brave decision, especially in a century when papal influence dominated not only political decisions, but also the daily lives of all citizens.
According to the logic of the Church, this decision was a insidious attack from the city to bypass ecclesiastical power. The city administrators justified themselves by saying that this monument would also be a symbol of religious faith, which would benefit the papacy too in terms of political influence.

 

What began as an attempt to compete with Florence and Milan became an ideal of freedom, autonomy and independence and the Church tried to interrupt the construction work several times. 
The climax reached its peek in 1562, when Pope Pio IV decided to purchase most of the land around the Basilica. Thanks to this astute move, the local administrators' ambitious project to create a cathedral in the shape of a Latin cross (and thus a religious symbol) was made impossible and was never completed. The Pope therefore considered his exclusive right to erect religious monuments to be unaffected, and the civic community remained in possession of the largest civic cathedral in Italy. From that day Basilica of San Petronio became a symbol of Bologna's independence from everyone, even the Pope.

So much history and tradition, a preparation that can take up to a few weeks, but what has made Christmas lunch in Bologna so famous? Step by step, let's discover together what can never be missing on the Christmas tables of every Bolognese family.

 

Bologna's tradition of cold meats and sausages does not need an introduction, but it can certainly be appreciated even more during Christmas. An unmissable dish is the “crescentina fritta”, a small focaccia typical of our region and prepared with simple ingredients like flour, lard and salt and rolled out exclusively with a rolling pin. Accompanying them, as we have said, is an infinite (and tasty) variety of cured meats, with the "Queen" mortadella leading the antipasto ranks.

 

The tortellino is undoubtedly the King of Christmas, accompanied only by its trusty "squire": the capon broth. The culture of this dish has been handed down for centuries and almost reaches 1100 AD (almost a thousand years ago!).

 

As important and rich as its name suggests, the Gran Bollito misto alla bolognese is another of Bologna's unmissable dishes. This dish can also be found in other Italian regions, but it is in Emilia that the recipe has been perfected, transforming itself from a useful way of using all the meat available (and not wasting anything) to a true icon of Bolognese culinary culture.

 

In Bologna, there is no dispute as to whether panettone or pandoro is better, because the Bolognese people have simply created their own cake!

The traditional dessert with which Christmas lunch ends is called “Certosino” and has even medieval origins! Pharmacists (at that time called "speziali") had access to a multitude of ingredients and, in addition to medical recipes, they also dabbled in the preparation of sweets, hence the first name of the Certosino dessert: "PANSPZIÈL", which takes its inspiration from "Pane degli speziali". The recipe was perfected over time by the monks of the Carthusian (Certosino in italian) monastery, who took charge of the subsequent production of this cake, so much so that it ended up being identified with the monks even in its name: "Certosino". The traditional recipe calls for it to be made with: flour, pine nuts, chocolate, almonds, sultanas, candied fruit and honey.

 

Whether you want to propose our typical Christmas lunch to your guests or simply take inspiration for your own creations, we are waiting for you at the Hotel Corona D'Oro and at our restaurant Casa Azzoguidi to let you breathe in the most magical and welcoming atmosphere, in full Bolognese style.

 

 

Who said you need a car to discover the surroundings of Bologna? We point out an easy outdoor route from the center of Bologna that you can easily cross by bike. Hotel Corona D'Oro has a convenient private parking (upon payment), so you can forget about the car and explore the city and its hills by pedaling on two wheels!

 

All the main attractions in Bologna are within walking distance of each other and from the Hotel Corona D'Oro, making it an ideal destination for a weekend or a trip of a few days. We have therefore found the attractions not to be missed, to give you the chance to fully experience the city but also to carve out some time for relaxation.