Panis Vita, Canabis Protectio, Vinum Laetitia

Raschid Fajury

a year ago

On the corner between Via Rizzoli and Via dell'Indipendenza, on the eastern side (or on the right, if one comes from Piazza Maggiore and leaves Nettuno behind) is this curiosity in which we can see three of the portico ceilings decorated with the insignia "Panis Vita", "Canabis Protectio", "Vinum Laetitia" to commemorate three of the most important products for the city since the Middle Ages. Just in case, "Canabis" is not used to remember marijuana but hemp, a product used as a raw material for clothing, fabrics, ropes and an endless number of uses that allowed the growth and subsistence of Bologna. Additionally, we not only see the inscriptions on the ceiling but there are, symmetrically, some inscriptions on the floor that correspond to each one of those above. Easy to miss if you are not attentive!

Agoraht 21

2 months ago

Walking along Via Indipendenza, we can find three frescoes in the vaults of the arcade that say this phrase. During the middle ages, Bologna had a great tradition of cannabis cultivation and was used for a large number of purposes. I imagine that these frescoes are not new, that they are a legacy of the past and that perhaps when they were created they were part of the decoration of the entrance of a store that sold products derived from cannabis. This is one of the so-called 7 secrets of Bologna. It is easily locatable.