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 At the beginning of the 5th Century AD. the town was falling apart; in this period Bishop Petronius, returned after carrying out political duties in Spain, Milan and Gaul and became very popular for the important urbanisation works he carried out. History tells us that Bishop Petronius marked the perimeter of the town with four crosses (they are all kept in St. Petronio, and in fact, date back to the time of Liutprand); this act is said to have been the origin of the so called "cerchia di Selenite" (selenite circle), while another opinion ascribes the origin of this circle to King Theodoric. The perimeter of the "cerchia di selenite" which encircled a much smaller town than the Roman one was marked by four gates: the "Piera" and the "Procola" at the two ends of the main "cardo";
the "Ravegnana" which was where now the two Towers are and the "Stiera", South of the maximum decuman. In 728-29, the Lombards conquerers -added to this circle the so called "Addizione Longobarda" (Lombard Addition) outside Ravegnana Gate, a very fortified semi-circular area (its streets still exist) to keep at bay the Byzantines of Ravenna.

As we often say Bishop Petronius became popular not only because he acted along traditional lines, that is to say promoting the construction of civic buildings, but also because he created the St. Stephen group, originally called "Sancta Jerusalem" because it evocated in its layout the Holy Places; in this group, the Holy Sepulchre church houses his tomb.

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General - Environment - Iron and Etruscan Age - Roman Age - Patron Saint- The Commune - Alma mater studiorum - Re Enzo - Porticoes - St Peter - Gothic - 14th Century - Piazza Maggiore - Aristocratic palaces - Brick and other stones - Early 15th Century - Archiginnasio - Counter Reformation Renaissance - 16th Century - Great portico ribbons - Frescoes in palaces - The "scenographic" city -  Napoleon's republics - Fall of Church power - The Restoration - Haussmann style - The new Century - Floreal style - Rationalism - World War - Active preservation - Around 2000