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.
Square in Bologna
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. The square hosts open-air cinema in summer and is the natural gathering point of the city. Budget travelers sit on the steps of the basilica and watch Bologna’s university students and elderly residents share the same piazza.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Piazza Maggiore, Bologna
- Good to know
Nearby
More in Bologna
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
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.
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.
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.
Working out what Bologna costs?
The whole of Bologna