The most read articles of the week: our summary about Bologna’s most beautiful church, taxes, rap music, rhetoric and trolling on Facebook.
The most fascinating place of Bologna: the Cathedral of Santo Stefano
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Italy has thousand of artistic and ancient hidden treasures.
One of these is the magnificent Cathedral of Santo Stefano, which the author of the article has decided to describe in its historical and artistic features.
Bologna is a marvellous medieval city, also known as “Bologna the fat, the red and the educated”.
Educated because it is the city where the first Italian university was settled.
Fat because it gave birth to some delicious food like ragù, lasagne, mortadella, crescentine, passatelli …
Red because it’s the main colour of its ancient buildings.
In addition to this and to the fact that the city counts incredible monuments like the Asinelli’s Tower, the cathedral of Santo Stefano is one of the most interesting places that the city can offer.
Built upon what remained of an ancient pagan temple dedicated to Isis in 80 b.C., it had North- African columns around a sacrifice area.
Later, in 429 a. D., Saint Peter appeared in a dream to Pope Celestino I. The father of the Church suggested the Pope to nominate Petronio bishop of Bologna.
Petronio modified the ancient church and turned it into a Christian baptistery. He also built two more churches: San Vitale and Sant’Agricola. Vitale and Agricola were two saints persecuted by the Emperor Diocleziano.
The Martyrium is another building that Petronio wanted to built, but he died before the construction was finished. It was completed by the Lombards.
When Petronio died, these places lost their importance and were named (Rotonda Stefanina)until 737 a. D., when the Lombards built the church of San Giovanni Battista. The king Liutprando, donated to the city a beautiful marble tub, located in the Martyrium.
Between 760 and 830, this architectural ensemble was enlarged by the Franks but later destructed by a blaze caused by the Hungarians in 902.
Only in 983, the Monks who lived nearby, started to restore the site: a new monastery was built and also an hospital.
In 1300 a miracle happened in the church of San Vitale e Agricola: a stone appeared on the floor. It had the name of “Simon” written on its surface. It is important to remember that Jesus named Saint Peter “Kefa”, which meant “stone” in Aramaic.
The church was immediately dedicated to Saint Peter.
Rome didn’t approved this decision and the Pope Bonifacio VIII ordered to destruct the church.
It was the first time when a Pope decided to destruct an holy place, an house of the Church.
In 1400, Sisto IV donated his nephew, future owner of the Lands of Imola and Forlì, the new opening of the church.
A history full of mystery, miracles and secrets. This is what Bologna means to the author of this article.
The precompiled 730 and the complicated life of contributors. By Paola Iotti
There was a time when filling a form to pay taxes was more simple to contributors, even if it appears to be even more simple now, because the document for the tax return needs to be compiled online.
The 7th July is the last term to send the document but there has been perplexity upon the new precompiled form.
Before the reform introduced in 2015, filling the form was easy and free. You only need to go to the CAF which is an authorized centre for taxes assistance. Also, medical bills and car insurance were tax- deductible. Now you have to show the package of medicinal to demonstrate the CAF assistant that they are conform to CE, the European Conformity.
It seems to be more difficult to calculate what could be deductible or not: you need to show bills, invoices, medical prescriptions.
The reform explained that it could be possible deduct sport taxes and veterinary fees, but what is real is that they are deductible only under a certain sum.
In conclusion, what seemed to be more easy, is even more difficult than before.
“Santeria” the new album of Guè Pequeno and Marracash, by Alessandro Benassi
According to Wikipedia, “Santeria” is a mixing religion, both Christian and African. It was a name used by the conquerors to make fun of the slaves who worked in cotton fields, and who were extremely devoted to Saints.
But Santeria is also the name for the amazing new album of Marracash and Gue Pequegno.
This new work was recorded in Tenerife, Brazil and Milan. It is characterized by a sweaty, underground, magic sound. The “Santeria” refers to our new Saints: the star system, money, Italian society. This is a perfect album for those who loves this kind of music and rap in general.
A Night for dead rhetoricians. By Franco Giordano
An university in Milan is offering students a Master in rhetoric. This Master is the opportunity to study important personalities of rhetoric, personalities like Quintiliano, Cicero and Aristotle.
But behind this, there is a contradiction. What does “rhetorical” means nowadays? There is no time to make a rhetorical speech. Also politicians like Matteo Renzi are wrongly persuaded that a quick and impactful communication, even if incorrect and contradictory has the power to persuade the audience immediately. According to this way of thinking, it is better to sacrifice the soundness of the topics to the quickness of persuasion.
But rhetoric persuades with logos (argumentation) and pathos (sense), it doesn’t kill them when it needs to. In addition to this, every example of debate is banned today.
That’s why nowadays talking rhetorically is contradictory itself.
Shocking news: Adinolfi abandoned Facebook. By Clara Campi
Distracted by the Brexit, we didn’t realized that another important break up was taking place: the one between Adinolfi and Facebook.
The politician explained that the reason why he left the social network is that some pages and groups persecuted him for his physical appearance.
But reality is that Adinolfi is a Troll, a provocative and aggressive Facebook character which loves to comment matters with no importance.
He was against the sequel of Kunf fu Panda and Frozen too.
He called his own party PDF, which is even more ridiculous that the fact that it is a party devoted to family. A family which he doesn’t have (he married his ex- wife in Las Vegas).
But the truth is that we need his stupid comments under our Facebook posts: we need Adinolfi.
Marione, please come back!
Silvia Noli