Piazza Maggiore
Itineraries in Bologna. Main monuments, palaces and squares to visit in Bologna.
Bologna is defined "the city of arcades" (38 km of arcades have been calculated in the city centre, included the characteristic consecutive 4 km which lead to the Saint Luca's Church)
Among the innumerable attractions in Bologna it is worthy of mentioning:
Piazza Maggiore: center of the ancient city and famous for the beautiful Fountain of Neptune by Giambologna (XVI century), which overlooks the main buildings of the civic and religious power:
San Petronio's Basilica, The City Hall, The Palace of the Podestà and The Re Enzo Palace.
San Petronio's Basilica
Built on the XIV century, it was a communal project of Bologna and it holds works of the main Italian artists of all time such as Jacopo della Quercia, Filippino Lippi, Vignola and many others.
The Basilica of San Petronio dominates the Piazza Maggiore. It is really big: it stretches for 132 meters in length, 58 meters in width and 44 meters in height. In its original project it should have been even bigger, but it has never been finished, lack of transept.
Its crenellated frontage, also uncompleted, is alternated by mullioned windows with two lights.
The major portal is embellished by bas-reliefs realized by Jacopo della Quarcia, which illustrate stories of both Old and New Testament.
The interior is notable for the 15th and 16th centuries' stained glass windows, which close the gothic mullioned windows with two lights of the lateral chapels.
There are many artworks: the fresco painting by Giovanni from Modena (1410), a Saint Rocco by Parmigianino, a Saint Anthony's statue by Sansovino.
Particularly noteworthy is a sundial, created in 1656 and traced out on the floor of the left nave: the sunlight which filters from a hole in the vault indicates the local solar time.
In the museum of the church there are exhibited painting and projects of the façade, vestments, objects in gold, ivory, and precious stones and illuminated corals.
This is the Basilica in which the emperor Charles the Fifth was crowned by Pope Clement VII. Moreover it holds the grave of Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister.
The ciborium of the major altar is made by Vignola (1547). Finally, very interesting are the inlaid wooden choir and two organs.
The City Hall
Built in communal times and also called "d'Accursio" for having hosted some members of that rich Bolognese family, it is today the seat of some important cultural institution, such as the Morandi Museum, where are held the artworks of the artist given to the city of Bologna.
The City Hall or D'Accursio Palace is a group of constructions of different times: the left part with the arcade and the tower are from the13th century. Over the palace there is a tower belonged to the Accursio family, which is embellished with a monumental carillon clock, modernized at the end of the 19th century. The left part, with the arcade and the tower are from the 13th century, while the right wing with gothic mullioned windows with two lights embellished with earthenwares was erected by Fioravante Fioravanti in 1425.
At the centre of the façade on the front portal made by Galeazzo Alessi in 1500, there is a big statue of Bolognese Pope Gregory XIII, reformer of the calendar (Artwork of A,Menganti).
On the top, below the scalloping there is a delicate Virgin Mary with Child and Saints by Niccolò Dell'Arca (1478). Within the first courtyard, in which there is a severe arcade realized in the 15th century, there is an amazing roped ramp, attributed to Bramante (1507), which leads to the first floor of the Palace. This ramp allowed the entrance also to carriages with horses.
Upstairs (noble) there are the D'Ercole and Farnese's halls and the rooms of the apartment of the cardinal. Today is possible to visit the amazing halls and the Communal Art Collections.
In this Palace there are exhibited the painting from the 14th to the 17th century realised by Italian and foreigners artists: Luca Signorelli, Tintoretto and many others.
The Palace of the Podestà
Built in the 13th century at the intersection of two roads, it is characterized by the Tower of the Arengo and by the so-called Voltone del Podestà, namely a wide arcade decorated with the statues of the four patrons of Bologna, Saint Petronio, Saint Procolo, Saint Domenico and Saint Francesco; it is situated on the northern side of Piazza Maggiore.
The Palace of the Podestà has been built at the beginning of the 12th century and rebuilt between the 1484 and the 1494 in a Renaissance style following the project of Aristotele Fioravanti on the former medieval original nucleus. It is surmounted by the Tower of the Arengo (1221), where is held a bell which weighs 49 quintals and which rings only for important events in the city.
The Palace of the Podestà is crossed by two roads which intersect in a big vault: in the four corner there are the earthware statues of the four patrons of the city. Whispering with the face attached to one of the corners of the vault, it is possible to hear those words in an amplified way with the ear attached to the opposite corner.
The upper room, painted by A. De Carolis, hosted the conclave who nominated the antipope Giovanni XXIII in 1410.
Re Enzo Palace
This is a building from the 13th century which takes its name from its most famous guest, Re Enzo, son of Federico II of Svevia, and which holds in its rooms the citizens archive and the Carroccio, namely a big cart used in war time to carry the emblem of the city.
After only 40 years from its construction, the Palace of the Podestà was joined by Re Enzo Palace, in order to shelter the big popular participation to the government.
The palace was initially called Palazzo Nuovo in order to distinguish it from the one of the Podestà, but then it changed name consequently to an historical episode. In fact, in this Palace was put away for 23 years Re Enzo of Sardinia, son of Federico II, after its defeat in the Fossalta battle.
Many legends have been told about his detention and his attempts to run away and his love stories. From an architectural point of view the Palace has been modified by Antonio di Vincenzo at the end of the 14th century and by Dotti in the 18th century. Important renovations have been made at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to Alfonso Rubbiani. Under the Palace we find the vault of a picturesque pedestrian crossroads and on the right there is the entrance to the chapel of S.Maria dei Carcerati, where used to go the condemned to death.
The fountain of Neptune
The square of Neptune is dominated by a Renaissance fountain, built between the 1564 and the 1565. The god of the water and the sea is the masterpiece of Giambologna and it stands in the centre of the square, with a trident in his hand with which he appeases the waves and some puttini and bronzed sirens riding dauphins. The lower part has been created by Tommaso Laureti who in the original project had planned bigger genitals for the Neptune, nevertheless the pressure of The Church pushed him to modify his project. Anyway this statue keeps a predominant erotic charge, for example the nymphs next to the statue squeeze water from their breasts.
Santo Stefano Square
From Via Santo Stefano you can reach the homonymous square, surrounded by historical and beautiful palaces, called "seven churches" even if there are just four plus holy buildings: the Church of the Crucifix (1200), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (1300), The Basilica of Saints Vitale and Agricola, built between the 10th and the 13th century (where are held the remains of the two Saints) and the Church of the Calvario.
Santo Stefano Square frequently hosts important concerts and manifestations, also thanks to the important buildings which surrounded it and which give it renown; especially at night the square is really fascinating and worthy of visiting.
The monumental complex of Santo Stefano, born from the union trough courtyards and arcades of seven churches and chapels, represents one of the Romanic buildings of the city which have been better conserved. In the background of the square there is The Basilica of Santo Stefano, formed by many buildings representing the Passion and the Crucifixion of Christ and built on a temple dedicated to Iside. In fact, you can see a votive inscription to the Goddess.
In the construction have been used old and pre-existent materials of both Romanic and Byzantine time, the works lasted from the 13th to the 15th century. The popular Vulgate wants Saint Petronio as the planner of the Basilica and its grave was in a cell surmounted by a pulpit in the Basilica of Santo Stefano; now it has been transferred in the Basilica who took its name.
Church of Santa Maria della Vita
It is situated in Via Clavature 10; here it is held the harrowing group on earthware of the Compianto su Cristo Morto, realised in 1463 by the sculptor Niccolà dell'Arca amd some paintings in the major altar by Giacomo Rossi and Giovanni Maria Tamburini on painting by his master Guido Reni.
Oratory of St. Maria della Vita
Via Clavature n. 8. It was designed by Floriano Ambrosiani and built by Bonifazio Sacchi (1604-17), It shows several artworks and it looks very exclusive and elegant.
The two towers
The Two towers are the landmark of the city. The taller one (97.20 meters, built between 1109 and 1119) is called the Asinelli while the smaller but more leaning tower is called the Garisenda (built between the XI and XII century).
The Tower of Asinelli has a light inclination of 230 cm and a stairway of 498 stairs; from the top the view is amazing and you can see, in sunny days, the Po Valley up to the Alps.
The Garisenda Tower has been lowered during the years for fear of collapses, it has a steeper slope (of about 322 cm) which makes it more characteristic.
Although that's not the reason for which were built so many towers (about 180), but it seems that the two Bolognese families, Asinelli and Garisenda, rivalled each other in building the higher tower to have the control over the city and the valley, as often it happened without having a good knowledge of architecture or engineering. Others argue that the towers were built as an instrument of defence and offence. The Two Towers are the most important and known but are not the only ones: there are still 17 among all those that were present in Bologna.
The Tower of Asinelli is open to public each day from the morning to the evening. The Garisenda Tower is not open to the public.
Palace of the Mercanzia
Next to the Two Towers we find the amazing Piazza della Mercanzia, with the elegant Palace adorned with a cusp canopy which surmounts the high arcade. You can see the Loggia del Carrobbio or dei Mercanti, built in the 14thcentury (1384) by Antonio di Vincenzo and Lorenzo da Bagnomarino. The pillars and the little balcony are made by Giovanni and his son Pietro di Giacomo, called dalle Masagne. Notable also the arches.
San Pietro Church
San Pietro Cathedral, situated in Via Indipendenza 7, is the metropolitan cathedral of the city of Bologna. Here is located the see of the throne of the Arcibishop of Bologna and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastic Province of Bologna.
A church was already existent in 1028, lined with a circular base pale Romanic bell tower but it was destroyed by a fire in 1141, so it was rebuilt and was consecrated by Pope Lucio III in 1184.
In 1396 it was built an high arcade on the façade, which was remade in 1467.
The building was completely restored inside from 1575 from the willingness of the cardinal Gabriele Paleotti.
However, these renovations were so profound that they caused the collapse of the vaults in 1599.
Major Chapel.
From 1582 it was elevated to the rank of "metropolitan church" (namely bishop see with jurisdiction on bishops and diocese of the same territory) by Pope Gregory XIII.
Finally, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 17th century and between 1743 and 1747 it had a new façade, designed by the architect Alfonso Torreggiani by the will of the Pope Benedict XIV.
At the moment the interior shows a Baroque style, giving the impression of a majestic size.
Among the artworks, you can admire the Annunciation of Ludovico Carracci, painted on the central lunette of the presbytery, a wooden Romanic Crucifixion and a earthware sculptural group called dead Christ with the crying Mary, by Alfonso Lombardi (early VI century). In the basin of the apse you can admire the early 20th century's paintings by Cesare Mauro Trebbi (1847-1931) with Saint Ann in glory.
The National Picture Gallery
(Via belle arti, n. 56)
The National Picture Gallery, one of the most important Italian museum institution, hosts in its rooms artworks of Raffaello, Carracci, Reni and many other artists linked to Bologna.
It is situated in the ancient S.Ignazio Convent, in via delle Belle Arti n. 56. It was constituted at the beginning of the 19th century, in order to save the many artworks of the ecclesiastic institutions suppressed by the French.
The Archigimnasio
Piazza Galvani, 1
Its construction was wanted by Pope Pio IV and its designer was Antonio Morando, who finished his work in 1563. It is a palace rich of history and of artworks. Its monumental look completes the urban transformation of Piazza Maggiore. The palace is structured in two floor with an arcade in the front part and a double-loggia internal courtyard which has englobed the church of Santa Maria dei bulgari, rich of painting by Cesi damaged during the war.
The wall of the loggia are covered by a complex mural heraldic, about six thousand polychrome coats of arms in honor of the Italian and foreign students in charge at the University between the 16th and the 18th century. Worthy of visiting is also the Aula Magna of the Artists and the one of the Legisti, called of the Stabat Mater. Interesting and unique in its genre, we find the anatomic theatre at the first floor: it was a room dedicated at the use of anatomy where were held lessons of medicine. The decorations of the panelled ceiling are made of deal wood, there are statues of notorious doctors and figures of the "spellati" by E.Lelli. The room was designed by A.Levanti in 1637, it collapsed after the bombing of 1944, then it was restored.
The Archaeological museum
Another place which is worthy visiting in Bologna is the Archaeological museum (Via dell'Archigimnasio, 2). It contains different materials which concern the history of bologna from the prehistory to the Romanic age. In fact, we find here different sections: the Etruscan, Greek, Romanic, Numismatic and the Egyptian collections, one of the biggest and most important of Europe.
Palace of the Banchi
Next to the Basilica of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore it is situated the Palace of the Banchi which takes its name from the bankers' shop of which time ago it was the base.
Built between the 1565 and the 1568, it was designed by the notorious architect Jacopo Barozzi, called the Vignola, in a Renaissance style.
From the Piazza Maggiore, there are two important passages which allow the communication between this area and the ones surroundings: one which arrives in Vbia Pescherie and the other in Via Drapperie. Furthermore, from the Palace of the Banchi starts the famous arcade called Pacaglione, which arrives till the Palace of the Archigimnasio. Its name comes from the French word "pavillon" ( and it relates to the silkworm fair which took place in those years).
The Collegio di Spagna
The Collegio di Spagna (or Royal Spanish College) is a two-floor building with the rooms located around the central arcade courtyard. Encircled by a crenellated wall it has a prestigious portal made by the Formigine in 1525. The cast iron balconies which frame some windows shows graceful "azulejos" (namely murals made on ornamental tiling) giving a Spanish touch to the entire neighbourhood. Obviously, the Collegio hosted many students, mostly Spanish. Among the most notorious students hosted by the Collegio di Spagna , it is worth remember: Ignazio di Loyola, Miguel Cervantes and Charles the V, which stayed there only four days before being crowned in the Basilica of San Petronio. The rooms which overlooks the external side are provided of merlons.
The Bocchi Palace
The Bocchi Palace, situated in Bologna in the present Via Goito, was built between the 1545 and the 1560 from the willingness of Achille Bocchi, famous for being a cultured philosopher. He made this palace the base of the Ermatena Academy, founded by himself.
The palace was designed by the Vignola, who was assisted by Bocchi. Its powerful architecture has been taken as a model for many others constructions, it is a beautiful examples of classic Italian architecture. In its basement there are carved some verses of Orazio in latin and some extracts of the Bible in Hebrew. At the ground floor, in a room once used as the base of the Ermatena Academy, we find the painting "Divinità dell'Olimpo" by Bartolomeo Cesi, while between the artworks of Prospero Fontana, there are left the fresco paintings on the vault and a "Ercole" above a chimney.
Palace of the Notai
It is located in via Dei Pignattari and it overlooks the Piazza Maggiore.
It has been built between the 14th and the 15th century, it has a crenellated façade spaced out by mullioned windows with two lights, with white marble columns designed by the architect Andrea di Vincenzo. On the façade there is the coat of arms of the Notai (on a red background there are three inkwells with quills). The palace of Notai has been built in two different stages: the side which overlooks the Basilica of San Petronio is more ancient and was built by Berto Cavalletto, while the one which overlooks Palazzo d'Accursio is more recent and was remade by Bartolomeo Fioravanti in 1437. Within the palace you can admire XV century fresco paintings and the Notai's coat of arms. In 1908 it was completely restore by Alfonso Rubbiani.
Palace Davide Bargellini
(Strada Maggiore 44)
It was built in the middle of 17th century by Bartolomeo Provaglia. The two giants which you can see in the main façade are by Gabriele Brunelli and Francesco Agnesini.
The palace hosts the Industrial Civic Museum and there is also a collection of paintings (art gallery Bargellini-Davia). Inherited by the Davia family in 1876, the marquis enriched the artworks collection. There are held many paintings by important painters as Vitale da bologna, Amico Aspertini, Luigi Crespi and many others.
Opening hours. Tuesday to Saturday 9-14 – Sunday and public holidays 9-13
The Church of the Servi
(Stada Maggiore 43)
The construction of this church caracterised by many arcades has been started in 1345. It was ther restored in 1600 for the order of the Servi of Mary. As well as San Petrono, it represents the culture of the late Bolognese gothic.
The church holds many artworks as the "beata vergine in trono col bambino" by Cimabue, the marble piece "annunciazione di Maria" by Michelangelo, some frescos by Vitale da bologna from 1300, a fresco by Guido Reni entitled "I Quattro Angeli" and many others paintings.
Curiosity: the church hosts many classic music concerts.
The Church of San Domenico
(via San Domenico 13)
In the background of Piazza San Domenico we find the homonymous church, in which are held the remains of the founder of the order of Preachers.
Its construction started after the death of the Saint in 1221. The façade is in Romanic style.
When you get in you find on the right the Chapel Ghisilardi, designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi in Renaissance style, while on the left you find many chapels in gothic style.
This Church was realised in different stages and it took part to the works Niccolò Pisano and his apprentices whom carved the urn, enriched then by Nicolò Dell'Arca with a beautiful coping.
Later, the church of San Domenico was enriched by the artworks of Michelangelo, who was only nineteen years old at that time!
It is also notable the wooden choir made by Frà Damiano da Bergamo in 1500, a masterpiece of Renaissance inlay.
The Church of San Francesco
(piazza malpighi 9)
It was built between the 1236 and the 1254 by the Franciscan community of the city. It is dedicated to the homonymous saint. Despite its Romanesque façade, it is one of the best example of French Gothic style in Italy. This is manifest in the interior, which has a nave and two aisles, in the apse with corridor, in the high vaults divided into six sections with ogival arches, and in the use of buttresses. It also also notable the other façade, with Romanesque-Gothic forms, and the apse part with the two bell towers (the bigger is an example of the gothic architecture of the early XV century, the other realised in 1260) and the arches of the radial chapels at the feet of which we find the thirteenth century mausoleum of the famous glossarists Accursio, Odofredo, and Rolandino dè Romanzi. It is also worth to admire the amazing marble altar piece by Pier Paolo dalle Masegne (1392), the Renaissance graves, the sacristy designed by antonio di Vincenzo (late fourteenth), the cloister of the dead (XIV century) and the big cloister with double loggia (centuries XV- XVI).
Behind the Basilica there is a park within which there are the Glossarists' Graves, the sepulchres of some between the most famous commentators of the Roman Law.
This magnificent church is situated in the neighbourhood called Pratello, near Piazza Malpighi and Via Sant'Isaia.
Museums and most known and ancient collections
Communal art collections
The Communal Art Collections of Bologna are situated in the rooms which were of the "cardinal legate". They holds paintings of the Bolognese school dated back the period from the 14th to the 18th century and paintings by Italian and foreign masters such as Luca Signorelli, Tintoretto and Magnasco. They hols also collection of applied art from the centuries 15th – 18th and an important collection of Renaissance ceramics, earthware shepherds and a puppet theatre.
The elegant rooms consecrated to the exibithon (second floor of the City Hall of Bologna) are full of artworks and furniture given during the 19th century and the early 20th century to the Common of Bologna which integrated the rich collection of the city judiciary bench.
Medieval Civic Museum
(via Manzoni 4)
It is located since 1985 in Palazzo Ghisilardi (born over the remains of an ancient Palatium destroyed in 1116) which dates back the XV century.
Here you can admire Lombard production artworks, a collection by Ferdinando Cospi, an encyclopaedic collection of rare and curious objects coming from exotic places such as the Syrian-Egyptian jug (late 13th century), a collection of weapons (a couple of Turkish arches and arrows from the 17th century) and, finally, the Fondo Palagi (1860), in which are showed the Lombard art's gold foil cross (8th century), the ivory incised with Jesus Christ in the garden (12th century) and the saddle covered in gold foil.
The most valuable collection is mostly formed by documents of the medieval life: it is significant a bronze vase portraying a horse warrior which projects the visitor in the chivalric atmosphere of that century. Last but not least the monumental statue of Boniface VIII made of plates of golden copper, realised by the goldsmith Manno Bandini da Siena (1301), in honor of the pope which dedicates himself to the end of the war between Bologna and Ferrara.
Sanctuary of the Church of San Luca
The sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of San Luca is dedicated to the catholic cult of the Virgin which dominates the Colle della Guardia, a partly wooden peak about 300 m a.s.l. to the south-west of the historical centre of Bologna. It is a really important sanctuary in the history of bologna, since its origins it was the destination of pilmingrages to venerate the holy icon the Virgin with the Child called of "San Luca". You can reach the sanctuary from Porta Saragozza trough a long and characteristic arcade street formed by 666 arches, which starts from Via Saragozza with the monumental and characteristic Arch of Meloncello (1732) and which rapidly goes up till the sanctuary. Among the artists whose artworks adorn the church, it is worthy remember Guido Reni (second chapel to the right), Giuseppe Mazza (chapel of Saint Anthony from Padova), Guercino (major sacristy).
Church of San Giacomo and oratory of Saint Cecily
(via zamboni 20)
This church is covered in very important frescoes, realised by painters such as Lorenzo Costa, Amico Aspertini e Francesco Francia.
Basilica of Saint Paul
(via dei Carbonesi 18)
On the high altar inside the tribune designed by Borromini it stands the beautiful marble sculpture which represents the "beheading of Saint Paul". In the second altar we find the Paradise of Ludovico Carracci (1616).
Alma mater
(Via Zamboni 33)
It is the most ancient university of the western world. It is situated in the Poggi Palace, built in 1549 and projecting by Pellegrino Tibaldi. In 1711 it was bought by the Sanate of Bologna, and three years later it became base of the Sciences. From 1803 the University left Palace of the Archigimnasio and moved to Poggi Palace. The courtyard of Poggi palace reminds the one of Farnese Palace in Rome; in the centre there is the statue of Hercules, by Angelo Piò.
It is an ancient historical palace in Bologna. The tower of the observatory was built around the XVIII century as an astronomic observatory. From the 1803 it is the base of the University.
The Botanic Garden
(Via Irnerio 42)
The present base dates back 1803 and it covers the area of 20 thousand square meters where you can admire plenty of plants. It is the base of a faculty.
Margherita gardens
They are situated not so far from the city centre along the avenues next to the Porta di Santo Stefano or the Porta Castiglione. It is one of the biggest parks of Bologna and surely the most famous and popular. It takes its name from the wife of Umberto the First, the king of Italy in the time in which the parks was born. It opened to the public in 1879. It is perfect in a sunny day to have a pic-nic or to have a nice walk between the paths and the artificial lake. The garden reaches out 235 thousand square meters and at the entrance from the Santo Stefano there is the equestrian monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele. During the works for its construction it was discovered a huge Etruscan necropolis with a lot of archaeological finds now held in the Archaeological Museum of Bologna. Two among the graves discovered are inside the park.