Private Tour of Bologna's Historic Center: Art, History & Secrets

Highlights

• Certified Local Guide
• Symbolic Places & Secrets
• Art, History & Gastronomy

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Piazza Maggiore

   1h

   Together we will explore the heart of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore or Piazza Grande, as Lucio Dalla calls it, but for the Bolognese simply the Piazza, discovering some of the most popular "Pulcinella secrets" of the city.

2. 2

   Fontana del Nettuno

   Pass by

   In marble and bronze, the Fountain of Neptune is the second symbol of Bologna and known by the Bolognese as Il Gigante. Built by the Flemish Giambologna on a project by Tommaso Laureti between 1563 and 1566 and commissioned by Pope Pius IV, it is a symbol of papal power: as Neptune dominates the waters, so the Pope dominates the world. At the feet of the God are in fact four putti, representing the Ganges, Nile, Amazon River and Danube, that is the rivers of the continents then known

3. 3

   Palazzo Re Enzo

   Pass by

   Palazzo Re Enzo is a historic building located in Piazza Maggiore, built in 1244-46 as an extension of the municipal buildings. It was so called because, during the thirteenth century it became the "residence" of King Enzo of Sardinia, a prisoner of the battle of Fossalta. The war machines were kept on the ground floor, while the sessions of the popular councils were held on the loggia on the first floor.

4. 4

   Biblioteca Salaborsa

   Pass by

   Inaugurated in December 2001, it is today the most important cultural center of the city. Inside Palazzo d'Accursio, the "almost castle", the ancient historical seat of the Municipality that overlooks Piazza Maggiore, which has always been the center and heart of Bologna, you can admire the ancient excavations and the sedimentation of the various civilizations in one scenery of harmony and light. Centuries of history thus relive, from the first settlements of huts of the Villanovan civilization of the VII century BC, to the Etruscan Felsina, to the Roman Bononia founded in 189 BC

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

   Palazzo D’Accursio or Palazzo Comunale is one of the most important buildings in Bologna, the seat of the Municipality of the city since 1336. Consisting of a set of buildings that over the centuries have gradually been joined to an older nucleus acquired by the Municipality at the end of the thirteenth century, the inside of the complex can be visited by climbing the sixteenth-century cordoned staircase attributed to Bramante and originally conceived for the triumphal ascent on horseback of the representatives of the city government, a succession of rooms-loggias and chapels.

6. 6

   Basilica Di San Petronio

   30min

   We will visit the main place of worship in Bologna, surprisingly not the cathedral and we will discover the reason for its not really canonical appearance. Inside we will see the Bolognini Chapel, the longest sundial in the world and the four crosses For groups of more than 2 people it is necessary to rent an audio guide at the entrance of the basilica (not included in the cost of the tour)

7. 7

   Archiginnasio Di Bologna

   Pass by

   Seat of the University of Bologna for three centuries, the Archiginnasio building remains a place full of charm. The ancient customs of students and professors, the heraldic coats of arms, the illuminated manuscripts and ancient books, the stands and the wooden statues of the anatomical theater make the visitor travel back in time

8. 8

   Stop 8

   15min

   The ancient central market of Bologna, from the Middle Ages the main trading center of the city, now a picturesque maze of historic shops, places to enjoy a good glass of wine and street food

Before you go

Location