San Petronio Basilica (Bologna)

Italy / Emilia-Romagna / Bologna / Piazza Maggiore, 5
 church, basilica, astronomy, Roman Catholic church, 14th century construction

The biggest church in Bologna and the 15th biggest church in the world. Among its interesting features, it is the site of the longest meridian line in the world, with a length of 66.71 meters, equivalent to 1/600,000 of the circumference of the earth. Originally created by Ignazio Danti in 1576, and later enlarged and improved by the great astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1655, the bronze line engraved in the pavement of the church marking the meridian can still be seen.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   44°29'34"N   11°20'35"E
This article was last modified 9 years ago