Postcard: A holy procession in Bologna

Feast of Corpus Christi procession, Basilica di San Petronio, Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Italy
Feast of Corpus Christi procession, Basilica di San Petronio, Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Italy

It was the sound of harmonic chanting that drew me out of my room towards our apartment’s large windows which directly overlook Piazza Maggiore. A crowd had gathered and there was a seemingly endless procession of priests, nuns, bishops, and other clergy from Basilica di San Petronio. A steady stream of white cloaks and gowns with some red and blue accents kept filing out while their melodic hymns filled the night air.

They were celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi. It is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and it solemnly commemorates the body and blood of Christ.

So naturally, I grabbed my tripod.

While I’m exploring the traditions and slow food in Emilia Romagna through BlogVille, I’ll be sharing some quick postcards and snippets to bring you along with me.