Bologna in 10 stages

What to see in Bologna? Here we propose a 10-step itinerary that will allow you to discover the best of the city of Bologna.

WINDOW OF VIA PIELLA

The first stop is the Window of Via Piella (located between numbers 16 and 18), a small opening in the wall overlooking the Moline Canal, one of the few stretches of water in the city that was not covered with asphalt between the early 20th century and the post-war period. Having become a favourite destination for tourists and lovers over the years, it frames an evocative view of the canal that, flanked by palazzi, is reminiscent of Venice (this corner of the city is known as ‘little Venice’).

NATIONAL PICTURE GALLERY

The second stop is the National Picture Gallery, located at 56 Via delle Belle Arti. Housed in the premises of the former Jesuit Novitiate of Sant’Ignazio (built between 1728 and 1735 to a design by the Bolognese architect Alfonso Torreggiani), it brings together works by great Italian artists of the calibre of Giotto, Raphael, Perugino, Tintoretto, Titian, Guercino and Reni, to name but a few. Among the masterpieces on display is the Bologna polyptych by Giotto, one of three works signed by the artist (the signature in gold letters is visible on the throne step). In addition to the permanent exhibition, the picture gallery also hosts medium and large-scale temporary exhibitions, educational activities, seminars and conferences.

ASINELLI TOWER

The next stop is the Asinelli Tower, one of the two towers (the other being the Torre Garisenda) commonly recognised as a symbol of Bologna. Located in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, at the intersection of the ancient streets San Donato (now Via Zamboni), San Vitale, Maggiore and Castiglione, it was built, according to tradition, between 1109 and 1119 by the nobleman Gherardo Asinelli (hence the name). From its height of 97.20 metres, one can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. A little curiosity: according to a legend, there is a broken vase at the top of the tower, symbolising Bologna’s good qualities in solving problems.

PIAZZA DEL NETTUNO

The route then continues to Piazza del Nettuno, one of the city’s most famous squares and one of the favourite meeting points of the Bolognese. It was created in 1564 to make room for the famous statue of Neptune (after whom it is named), sculpted by the Flemish sculptor Jean de Boulogne (better known as Giambologna) to a design by the Palermitan painter Tommaso Laureti, whom the Bolognese familiarly call ‘al Zigànt’ (the Giant). Piazza del Nettuno also gives access to the Salaborsa Library (opened in December 2001), under whose glass floor you can admire the remains of Roman and medieval Bologna.

PIAZZA MAGGIORE

In the immediate vicinity of Piazza Nettuno is Piazza Maggiore. The beating heart of the city, a meeting point for citizens and a venue for events all year round, it is one of the very first squares, if not the first, to be built in Italy after the fall of the Roman Empire, when the ‘piazzas’ were the basilicas and forums. Erroneously considered the ‘Piazza Grande’ of Lucio Dalla’s song, it is surrounded by arcades and some of the city’s most important buildings: the Basilica of San Petronio, the Palazzo dei Notai, the Palazzo d’Accursio, the Palazzo del Podestà and the Palazzo dei Banchi.

BASILICA OF SAN PETRONIO

In Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica of San Petronio (dedicated to the city’s patron saint), the largest and most important church in Bologna, is definitely worth a visit. Erected between the 14th and 17th centuries, it represents one of the most impressive and significant examples of an Italian Gothic cathedral. The unfinished façade features works by, among others, Jacopo della Quercia, Alfonso Lombardi and Amico Aspertini (in the lunettes of the portals). The interior is divided into three naves with twenty-two chapels decorated by artists including Francesco Francia, Lorenzo Costa, Parmigianino and Donato Creti. Famous is the Chapel of San Petronio, which houses the head and body of the saint. Also very famous is the Cassini astronomer’s sundial, which cuts diagonally across the church floor.

ARCHIGINNASIO

Walking under the Portico del Pavaglione, to the left of the Basilica of San Petronio, we reach the entrance to the Palace of Archiginnasio, one of the most significant buildings in Bologna. Built by Cardinal Borromeo between 1562 and 1563 to a design by architect Antonio Morandi as the seat of the University, it currently houses the Teatro Anatomico and the Municipal Library of the same name. One of the palace’s most characteristic rooms is the Sala dello Stabat Mater, so named in memory of the first performance, held there on 18 March 1842, of Gioachino Rossini’s Stabat Mater, conducted by Gaetano Donizetti.

COMPLEX OF SAINT STEFANO

The eighth stop is the religious complex of Santo Stefano, also known as the ‘Seven Churches’ complex because it consists of several buildings built over the centuries side by side. It overlooks the square of the same name and is ‘the cradle and heart of the Bolognese Church’. Regarding its origins, according to the most accredited hypothesis it was raised by Bishop Petronius in the 5th century on the ruins of a pre-existing pagan temple. The tour includes the Church of the Crucifix, the Crypt (only through the stained-glass windows), the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of Vitale and Agricola, the ‘Courtyard of Pilate’, the Church of the Trinity, the Medieval Cloister, the museum and the Church known as ‘della Benda’.

MARGHERITA GARDENS

A few minutes’ walk from the Santo Stefano Complex are the Margherita Gardens, the penultimate stop. Located between Via Murri and Via Castiglione, they are the best known and most popular of Bologna’s public parks. With their 26 hectares, they are the ideal place to relax, unwind and rediscover contact with nature a stone’s throw from the chaos of the city. The park, inaugurated in 1879 as Passeggio Regina Margherita, is still very similar to its original design, inspired by English romantic parks. A small curiosity: on the southern side of the pond, you can see the open-air stretch that still carries the ancient Savena canal (1176), one of the waterways that once characterised the city.

SANCTUARY OF THE MADONNA OF SAN LUCA

Finally, the tour ends with a visit to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca (San Lócca in Bolognese), for centuries a symbol of Bologna as well as an object of religious worship. Located on Colle della Guardia, it is connected to the city centre by a characteristic porticoed road that, starting from Porta Saragozza, runs for four kilometres. As an alternative to the walk, San Luca can be reached by the San Luca Express rubber train, which departs from Piazza Maggiore. The sanctuary, whose dominant style is Baroque, has a façade consisting of a forepart modelled on the classical forms of the pronaos. The interior features some wonderful works by artists such as Guido Reni, Donato Creti, Giuseppe Mazza, Guercino and Vittorio Maria Bigari.

Photo WINDOW OF VIA PIELLA © Bologna Welcome | NATIONAL PICTURE GALLERY © Bologna Welcome | ARCHIGINNASIO © Biblioteca comunale Archiginnasio | COMPLEX OF SAINT STEFANO © Bologna Welcome