We set off this morning after our Italian breakfast in search of the Chiesa di San Sigismundo.  We found it situated next to the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088.  An awfully busy location, with noisy construction and restoration going on all around, we stepped inside the church and it grew immediately quiet……not sure if that was from the shock of the Italian people seeing me stepping into a church and they were aghast, or whether the walls and doors of the church were so thick they were quite sound proof.  A beautiful church inside, it also houses the body of 11 year old Saint Imelda Lambertini, a young girl who upon taking her first communion passed away on May 12, 1333.  Her young body is literally on display inside the church in a tasteful way if that can be said.

Consulting our map, we set off in search of St. Catherine whose body is housed in the Sanctuary of the Corpus Domini.  We arrived at the convent and went inside.  The inside of this place was again so very beautiful.  We didn’t find the body of St Catherine here, but we did see a photograph taken from inside the cathedral on October 5, 1943 and another one taken from the same perspective later in the day on October 5, 1943 after the Cathedral had been bombed during the war.  Wow, the beautiful dome gone and you looked up into the sky.  It was rather sobering.

With another 2 miles or more of walking under our belts…..we were ready for some lunch.  And lunch we had!  Only primi — the pasta course, and of course dessert of moscarpone with ciaccolato.  I was thinking we were going to have to walk some more to get ourselves prepped for our dinner reservations tonight, but not to worry.  Barb and Lynda had some shopping in store for us.  Doug and I made it clear we would not be involved in any “shopping”…..we would just tail them as their security detail and wait outside each store.  Two and half hours and 23 stores later, our ladies noticed that their security personnel were still smiling.  Of course, we’re in ITALY!

We walked to the Piazza Maggiore to try and go into the Basilica…the 15th largest cathedral in the world.  There was a Lamborghini display in the main piazza.  We paid our money to get into the Basilic, but soon learned that we only paid to hike another 22 meters up the construction scaffolding placed in the front of the Basilica so we could……I guess, look out on all the Lamborghinis in the piazza below.  Oh well…..it was quite a site and a view.  Since we did such a good job in the protection detail, everyone was rewarded with another round of gelato!  Now back to the hotel to get ready for our final dinner in Bologna and then off tomorrow for 7 days in Tuscany!