Bologna City Centre Guided Walking Tour

Piazza Maggiore, Palazzo d'Accursio and the Neptune Fountain

Every Bologna city tour begins in Piazza Maggiore, the great square laid out in the 13th century and still the stage of the city's life. On its west side, Palazzo d'Accursio has been the town hall since 1336, its brick facade crowned by a clock tower, while the Palazzo del Podestà and the long portico of the Palazzo dei Banchi close the square. Next door, the Sala Borsa library has a glass floor over the ruins of Roman Bononia.

At the corner of the square stands the Neptune Fountain, created in the 1560s, a powerful bronze sea god surrounded by cherubs, dolphins and sirens, nicknamed the Giant by the people of Bologna. Your guide explains the legends linked to the statue, the fountain's recent restoration and why Bologna, an inland city, chose the god of the sea as its symbol.

Basilica of San Petronio

Filling the south side of Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica of San Petronio is dedicated to the 5th-century bishop who became the city's patron saint. Work began in 1390 with the ambition of building one of the largest churches in Christendom, and it remains among the biggest churches in Europe. Its facade was never finished: the lower part is clad in pink and white marble, the upper part is still bare brick.

Inside, the immense Gothic nave is crossed by a meridian line set in the floor in 1655, one of the longest in the world, which uses a small hole in the vault to measure the sun's path through the year. The guide shares its story outside the church; entry is open during the day for anyone dressed modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Quadrilatero and Piazza della Mercanzia

Behind Piazza Maggiore lies the Quadrilatero, the medieval market district whose lanes still bear the names of the old guilds: the fishmongers, the drapers, the locksmiths and the goldsmiths. Today they are lined with delicatessens, fresh pasta workshops, fruit and vegetable stalls and fish counters, a perfect introduction to why Bologna is called la Grassa, the well-fed city.

A few steps away, Piazza della Mercanzia is dominated by the Gothic loggia built between 1384 and 1391 for the merchants' court, which settled trade disputes. Rebuilt after damage in the Second World War, it is now the seat of the Chamber of Commerce. Your guide explains how trade, silk and canals made medieval Bologna rich enough to build the palaces around you.

Piazza Santo Stefano

Piazza Santo Stefano is one of the most beautiful corners of Bologna: a triangular, cobbled square framed by Renaissance palaces and porticoes, opening onto a complex of interconnected churches known as the Seven Churches. Its origins go back to the 5th century, and over time chapels, cloisters and courtyards were added, some designed to recall the holy sites of Jerusalem.

It is also an ideal place to talk about the porticoes of Bologna, the covered arcades that run for dozens of kilometres through the city and were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. Your guide shows how these arcades shelter walkers from sun and rain and why they became the signature of the city.

The Two Towers: Asinelli and Garisenda

In the Middle Ages Bologna bristled with tower houses built by rich families as symbols of power and as refuges in times of feud. The Two Towers are the most famous survivors. The Asinelli Tower rises about 97 metres and was long climbed by visitors up its wooden staircase, while the shorter Garisenda leans so steeply that it was lowered in the 14th century for safety.

In recent years both towers have been under special safety monitoring and restoration, with a protective barrier around the Garisenda and climbing suspended, so they are admired from the street on this walk. The morning tour ends here, at the meeting point of five ancient roads, with time to ask your guide about the best time to visit Bologna's sights and where to eat nearby.

The Archiginnasio and its Anatomical Theatre

In the afternoon the default option continues with a one-hour guided visit to the Archiginnasio, built in 1562 and 1563 to bring together the schools of the University of Bologna, founded in 1088 and considered the oldest university in the Western world. Until 1803 it was the university's seat, and its arcaded courtyard, staircases and halls are covered with thousands of painted coats of arms and memorials of students and professors.

The highlight is the Anatomical Theatre, built in 1637 entirely of spruce wood, with tiered seats around a marble dissection table and carved statues of skinless figures supporting the lecturer's canopy. Destroyed by bombing in 1944, it was rebuilt using the original pieces. The visit also includes the historic halls of the library that now fills the building.