Tourist Attractions & Monuments Emilia-Romagna

It is the city's living place par excellence and the pride of its inhabitants. This majestic square gives the impression of having returned to the Middle Ages, the atmosphere in the evening is really captivating. It is also the monumental heart of the city. Dominated by the Basilica of San Petronio to the south, there are also a number of ancient palaces: on the west side, the 13th-century Palazzo d'Accursio (Town Hall); to the north, the Palazzo del Podestà, founded in the 13th century and refurbished in the Renaissance; to the east, the Palazzo dei Banchi (Banks), dating from 1568, which once housed the offices of the bankers; to the south-west, the 14th-century Palazzo dei Notai (Notaries). The Palazzo del Podestà has a ground floor with arches crossed by two lanes that intersect under a large vault. Its porticoes facing the square now house the tourist office. At the back, the Palazzo di Re Enzo, built in 1246, was named after the son of Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen, who was imprisoned here for twenty-three years. The story goes that the young man was of great beauty and attracted the attention of all the women in the city. One day he managed to escape, but he was denounced by a young girl who saw him fleeing from her window and was terrified that she could no longer admire him. The latter two palaces are open for exhibitions or special events. In summer, Piazza Maggiore becomes a large open-air cinema with film screenings every evening.

It is not a single church but a group of four churches (originally seven) in which twelve Benedictine monks still reside today. First we enter the 11th century church of the Crucifix (Chiesa del Crocifisso). A staircase on the left leads to the Pietà d'Angelo Piòand gives access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (del San Sepolcro), from the same period and containing the tomb of Saint Petronius. Its dome was, until 1804, decorated with frescoes. This is no longer the case today, but the mystical atmosphere still reigns in this church. We then pass into the Courtyard of Pilate (Cortile di Pilato), a regular quadrilateral where the restored facade of the Church of the Holy Trinity is located to the east. In the centre is the "Pilate's basin", a stone basin where Pontius Pilate is said to have washed his hands after Christ's death sentence. This Lombard work is actually dated between 730 and 740. After the Church of the Trinity (della Trinità), a transverse church with five naves dating back to the 13th century, you reach the cloister. From there, you can reach the small museum where some of the paintings are exhibited. Finally, the Basilica of Saints Vitale and Agricola, overlooking the picturesque Piazza Santo Stefano, is the one that has best maintained the characteristics of the Lombard Romanesque style. It is also the oldest in the city. Chapels, crypts, cloisters are linked together in a unique composition, giving off an atmosphere of great serenity.

Symbol of the city, it was erected in 27 B.C. in honour of the Emperor Augustus who had just connected the via Flaminia to the via Emilia. The construction has the peculiarity of being the oldest Roman arch to have come down to us. Built in white Istrian stone, it has a large opening framed by Corinthian columns. The battlements are much later: they were added in the Middle Ages. The arch was indeed the main gate of the city until the 1930s when the ramparts were demolished.

In 1315, the first dissection of a human body was held under the leadership of Bolonais Mondino, the author of the first Dissection Guide, and under the high authority of the Church whose representatives installed behind a height trap could at any time interrupt the operation. In this wooden theatre, detachable, which served only the two winter months conducive to dissection, we inspected all parts of the body without ever touching the heart "the soul box" and made discoveries of incredible scientific progress, especially in 1316 with the first dissection of the body of a pregnant woman.

Built in 1246, he was named in tribute to the son of Federico II di Hohenstaufen, who remained imprisoned here for years. The story tells us that the young man was of perfect beauty and that the women of the city liked to look at it. One day he managed to escape, he was denounced by a girl who, in her window, saw her escape and was terrorized at the idea of no longer being able to admire her…

Begun in 14 AD under Augustus, this bridge over the river Marecchia was completed in 21 AD by Tiberius, who gave it his name. It is built of massive stone from Istria and has five semicircular arches whose width decreases from the centre to the banks. During the Second World War this was the only bridge in Rimini that was not dynamited, apparently saved by a German officer who prevented its destruction. In summer, boat trips are organized on the Marecchia around the bridge; ask at the tourist office.

Here you will find all the information you need to organize your stay in Ravenna and its surroundings: city map, timetables of museums and monuments, brochures, calendar of events... You can also purchase the Romagna Visit Card, which gives you free entry to 55 cultural sites in the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Ferrara, as well as discounts and advantages on 70 tourist sites and activities for a total cost of €20. It is valid for the entire calendar year.

This grandiose brick construction dates from the 13th century and is dominated by the Clock Tower added two centuries later. In the centre, the portal designed by Galeazzo Alessi dates back to 1555; on the balcony, the statue of Pope Gregory XIII who, to escape the looting by Napoleon's troops, was disguised as Saint Petronius, patron saint of the city! The top floor of the palace houses the collections of paintings and works of art of the city of Bologna (Collezioni Comunali d'Arte).