Bologna, Italy: Basilica of Saint Dominic (Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca)
About Saint Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221):
One of the greatest preachers of his time, he founded the Dominican Order. He worked tirelessly to evangelize to those who had been mislead by the Albigensian heresy that was flourishing in France in the 13th Century. The heresy wrongly taught that all material things, including the human body itself, were fundamentally evil, just the opposite of what the Christian faith teaches.
He was such a great preacher that few could argue against him, and he helped bring many back into the Church.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Dominic de Guzman on August 8.
About the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca:
The Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca is where you will find Saint Dominic’s body in a sarcophagus. This sarcophagus is in itself a majestic work of art that tells the story of the work and the miracles of Saint Dominic in sculpture.
Note that his head is preserved separately in the Basilica, no doubt due to the reputation he had as one of the best preachers ever known.
The Dominicans moved to the Church of San Nicolò of the Vineyards (San Nicolò delle Vigne) on the outskirts of Bologna in 1219, where Saint Dominic resided and was originally buried in 1221. It was originally located in what is now the center of Bologna, in an area known for vineyards at the time, hence the name. It served as the early home of the Dominican Order in Bologna before being absorbed into the expansion of the Basilica of Saint Dominic by 1243.
Following the growth of the order, the church was expanded, and the original structure’s apse was demolished, transforming it into what is now the Basilica of San Domenico, consecrated in 1251.
The site is crucial in Dominican history, being the place where Saint Dominic’s remains were exhumed in 1233 prior to his canonization.
also houses an icon attributed to Saint Luke.
There is also another Saint Dominic…..Saint Dominic de Silos.
And one more….Saint Dominic Savio, a young student of Saint John Bosco, who is buried in the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians in Turin.
Traveling to the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca:
This Church dominates the town.
Address: Via di S. Luca 36
Tel: +39 051 6142339
Click here for the local tourist website describing the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca