Biblioteca Salaborsa
The Biblioteca Salaborsa is Bologna's central library in the Palazzo d'Accursio on Piazza Maggiore, with a glass floor revealing Roman archaeological ruins in the basement below. Free.
Museum in Bologna
Archiginnasio
The Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio is the oldest building of the University of Bologna (the oldest university in the Western world, founded 1088). Free to enter the courtyard and library. The Teatro Anatomico (a 17th-century wood-paneled anatomical theater where cadavers were dissected before an audience of medical students) is the highlight. Budget travelers enter for free, see the courtyard covered in heraldic crests of former students, and visit the anatomical theater where modern medical education began.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Piazza Galvani 1, 40124 Bologna
- Good to know
Nearby
More in Bologna
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Mercato delle Erbe
Mercato delle Erbe is Bologna's covered food market, a mix of traditional produce stalls and modern food counters. Free to enter.
Neptune Fountain
The Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune Fountain) is a monumental 16th-century bronze fountain by Giambologna on the Piazza del Nettuno, adjacent to Piazza Maggiore. Free.
Piazza Maggiore
Piazza Maggiore is the central square of Bologna, surrounded by the Basilica di San Petronio (one of the largest churches in Italy, free to enter), the Palazzo d'Accursio, and the Palazzo del Podesta. Free.
Portico Walk to San Luca
The Portico of San Luca is the longest covered arcade in the world, stretching 3.8 kilometers from the Saragozza gate uphill to the Sanctuary of San Luca. Free.
Quadrilatero
The Quadrilatero is the medieval market district east of Piazza Maggiore, a grid of narrow streets lined with food shops, delis, and fresh produce stands that have been trading here since the Middle Ages. Free to walk.
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The whole of Bologna