Discover Bologna

Known for its delicious dishes and brainy locals, Bologna overflows with
award-winning chefs and lofty professors. The Wests oldest university boasts
alumni such as the great Copernicus, and the smell of tagliatelle al rag wafts
through every portico and piazza.

Top attractions

Piazza Maggiore
Piazza Maggiore is pretty as a medieval postcard. The vast open space is
framed by ornate arcades, handsome bell towers and sepia-stained
structures. In fact, the citys most important buildings huddle around these
four corners. Take a seat in a caf and gaze across at beautiful facades and
the muscle-bound statue of Neptune. Bellissima!

Bologna Towers

Harken back to medieval times. The Bologna Towers jut above the horizon
from a sea of red-tiled roofs. They tilt toward each other slightly, as if leaning
in to kiss. Dante wrote these tender towers into history when he spoke of
their fine views in Rhymes. Clamber up its creaking wooden staircase for a
chance to be wooed by the urban scene below, just as a pre-eminent poet
once was.

Open Monday-Sunday 09:00-18:00.

Santo Stefano

Holy, holy, holy. Santo Stefano, martyred by stoning, became the namesake
for this maze of religious buildings. The monastery, churches and chapels
cast a hushed spell upon onlookers. Tiptoe through interconnecting churches,
flush with frescoes depicting the lives of saints and crucifixes from the 8th
century. For a sweet ending, grab some jam from the monks before leaving.
Basilica di San Petronio

Lovers of architecture - get ye to the Basilica di San Petronio. The fifth-largest

church in the world is gorgeously frozen in Italian Gothic time, its bone-white
faade left unfinished. Rub your eyes in awe as you wander its three naves
and twenty-two side-chapels. Astrology is writ large in the sundial across the
church floor thank your lucky stars you came inside!

Open Monday-Sunday 07:45-14:00 and 15:00-18:00.

Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca

Perched atop a hill just outside of town, this sanctuarys dome peeps out
above pine foliage. Its as familiar a sight to the Bolognese people as the
moon itself. Escape the city and follow a winding covered portico (the longest
in the world) all the way up to the basilica. Inside youll find art by Reni, Creti,
Mazza and Guercino and views thatll set your pulse racing.

Open MondaySaturday 06:3019:00, Sunday 07:0019:00

Teatro Anatomico
At this university building, esteemed academia weighs down the air like a
mighty tome. Statues of Hippocrates and Galen guard the hallowed halls.
Picture a fresh-faced Dante perfecting his poetics here. Upstairs, the Reading
Room and the Anatomical Theatre nourish the hungry minds of budding
scholars. And theres plenty of reading material the library stockpiles
35,000 manuscripts.

Piazza del Nettuno

Once upon a time, if you bathed in the Fountain of Neptune you were subject
to 50 lashes. While such punishments are a thing of the past, the city still
regards the statue with high esteem. Cast in bronze, the trident-wielding god
of the sea whips up a mighty storm and surfs gracefully atop the waves.
Cherubs, mermaids and dolphins frolic below him. Just dont dive in!