Streets squares and districts to visit Bologna

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.

Via Zamboni is the university street of Bologna. There are several universities and the municipal theatre, a th century construction of Antonio Galli, "Il Bibiena". The beautiful interior was decorated by Busi and Samoggia. Later, at No. 33 of Via Zamboni, the central headquarters of the University of Bologna have been installed in Poggi palace since the th century. The interior features frescoes of Pellegrino Tibaldi and Niccolo dell'Abate. In front of the palace, the street is lined with lodging ads, to find rooms in the month or the week. Having become a kind of folklore, these ends of accrochés paper still bear witness to a real problem for students.

In the extension of Piazza Maggiore, this square is also called Piazza del Gigante (Giant's Square) because of the imposing statue of Neptune that adorns the fountain. Commissioned by a papal legate in honour of Pius IV, the bronze sculpture was made by the Flemish Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna) between 1563 and 1566. The Roman god of the seas grabs his trident and rests on a high base decorated with putti embracing dolphins and four sirens in suggestive poses. Today, Neptune has become one of the symbols of Bologna.

Inaugurated in 2000, this place of the Third Millennium has long sought its vocation. Pedestrian passage in Roman times, botanical Garden in 1600, trade room in 1860, then the exchange room and finally the Caisse d'epargne headquarters, it is now the library and multimedia centre of Bologna. Inside, the remains of a Roman forum and basilica are visible through the stained ground.