Bologna Highlights | Italy

Highlights of my trip to the beautiful city of Bologna in July 2022.
Featuring:
1. San Luca Sanctuary
2. Santo Stefano and complex of seven churches
3. Archiginnasio - public library and anatomical theatre
4. Porticoes
5. Piazza Maggiore
6. San Petronio Basilica
7. Two towers - Asinelli and Garisenda
8. View from Belltower of St Peter's Cathedral
9. Moline Canal and 'Finestrella' secret window
10. Neptune Fountain
11. Palazzo D'Accursio
12. Free Cinema 'Under the Stars' from June to August
13. Nonna Rosa Trattoria
14. Ristorante Donatello
15. Opera House - Teatro Comunale
16. Pinacoteca - National Art Gallery
17. Palazzo Hercolani
18. San Michele in Bosco
19. Parco della Montagnola
20. Giardini Margherita

The Sanctuary of San Luca has been the symbol of Bologna for centuries. It is connected to the city centre by a road that unwinds for four kilometres with a portico that has a series of over 600 archways making it the longest in the world. Together with the other city porticoes, it was in included the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2021.

Santo Stefano is known as the ‘sette chiese’ (seven churches) because it is the merger of multiple churches built in different eras. According to legend it was built by Petronius on the ruins of a pre-existing pagan temple, flanked by a reproduction of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The square is overlooked by the Church of the Crucifix, the Church of Saint Vitale and Saint Agricola and the Church of the Trinity, restructured between the 12th and 13th centuries. Inside is the Courtyard of Pilate with a marble basin donated by the Kings of the Lombards and a Benedictine cloister.

The Archiginnasio is one of the most important palaces in Bologna. Located in the heart of the historic city centre, it has been the home of the Municipal Library since 1838. The Palace was commissioned by Cardinal Borromeo and was built between 1562 and 1563. The Anatomical Theatre was built in carved wood in 1637 to teach anatomy.

The porticoes of Bologna, almost 38 miles (62km) long of which 25 miles (40km) are in the city centre, make the city of Bologna truly unique. Ever since 1100, when the growth of the University (the oldest in the western world) led to the need for new urban spaces, the porticoes have become places where people can socialise and trade, an open-air symbol of Bologna’s hospitality. The porticoes shelter people from the sun and the rain.

Видео Bologna Highlights | Italy канала EleonoraFerrari