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SAN
DOMENICO

Piazza San Domenico is cobbled and dominated
by two tall columns of the Settecento on top
of which are the statues of Saint Dominic
and Our Lady of the Rosary.
Here also stands the Church of San Domenico,
where the Dominican Order was born and where
the saint's remains are kept.
Thechurch was begun soon after the saint's
death in 1221. On one side of its Romanesque
façade is the reanissance Cappella
Ghisilardi, planned by Baldassarre Peruzzi.
Inside the church was restored between 1728
and 1732 by Carlo Francesco Dotti.
You'll see some important works by Nicolò
Pisano, Nicolò da Bari, Michelangelo,
Guercino, andGuido Reni. The wooden choir
is an outstanding example of Renaissance carving.
It was made by Frà Damiano
da Bergamo (1528-40).
The
convent next door is also worth visiting for
its cloisters (14th, 15th and 16th centuries)
and library, planned like a basilica, which
dates back to 1466.
Not too far away is the Oratory of the Holy
Spirit built in the 15th century.
It is a small building which stand out for
its precious façade decorated with
terracotta figures and reliefs in shades of
warm colors.
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