They say there are seven secrets in Bologna- and this is one of them! It's a small unassuming…read morewindow among the city's famous porticoes, and is sometimes called the "little Venice." It has a charming view and is definitely worth a quick stop... then go and find the other six secrets!

This square is almost like a hub to all of the best sightseeing in Bologna. It's the central…read moresquare where a lot of the interesting sights are located. While we were there, they were setting up for some sort of viewing with a huge screen and plenty of seats. I didn't look up what it was for but I assume that because this square is so large and central, they do this sort of thing all of the time. We visited the fountain, the church and the shops and restaurants branching off from this square and we also took the San Luca express from here. Great way to landmark yourself in the city.

Other Yelp reviewers have covered many of the major points regarding location and this square's…read morecentrality to all the major site seeing attractions nearby. I'll add a few notes on some of the notable places to visit in and around this piazza: - Palazzo Re Enzo in April 2024 wasn't open to the public for general viewing, inside are mainly government offices. - Biblioteca Salaborsa: cool library building for history and architecture fans. Aside from the impressive details of the current building. Roman ruins are visible from main library floor and visitable underneath the library. See my separate review for this! - Biblioteca Communale and the Two Towers (Asinelli Tower and Garisenda Tower--not to be confused with LOTR) are about a 5 minute walk from this square. Towards the south for the historical library with a historic anatomical studies operating room, and directly east for the towers. - Signorvino: decent spot to people watch, enjoy some wine and a light meal or charcuterie while taking in the view of the piazza. Indoor and outdoor seating available. - Fontana del Nettuno: ask the locals about the legend around the sea god's sculpture...walk around it to view at different angles...maybe not appropriate for kiddies. - Cinema Modernissimo: recently renovated (end 2023) old school movie theater from 1915 that's underground and on the block next to the piazza. They play Italian classics, and both old and modern movies, tickets starting at €6 and some movies with free entry. All showings book up very quickly, so move fast--as of end June all paid shows were booked up thru end November. Hope anyone reading this enjoys their time in Bologna as much as I did!

Walk out the back of the cathedral and across the street this amazing library!!…read more The details just in the open courtyard are stunning! You can go up stairs as well and explore we were unfortunately running out of time.

This library is part museum, part municipal library with some of the historic rooms and anatomical…read moreamphitheater open to the public. Reservations are recommended tho not required on weekdays. On a Tuesday afternoon in early April there were several high school student groups visiting and maybe a few dozen other regular tourists. Tickets are €3 in person and an extra €0.50 to reserve online in advance. I imagine the lines and crowds in the summer are longer. Upon entering the main entrance on the ground floor, most visitors take a stroll around the central courtyard then head up the stairs to the 1st floor (2nd floor to non-Europeans). Atop the stairs the main library room is on the right and the hallway to the anatomical theatre and public exhibit space and historical auditorium is on the left. The staff will direct tourists to the left, they're very strict on granting access to the functioning library rooms to only students with valid student IDs and reservations. The anatomical theatre is one of a few better known of such historical facilities in Bologna, being that it's traditionally a university city and they used to study anatomy science in this type of lecture hall. Raised seating overlooks a central table on a platform, where bodies were placed. This building was part of the university of Bologna until the university location moved to a more NE section of the city. There were some descriptive plaques placed outside which explained its functions and how this particular room was severely damaged during WWI, then reconstructed. After sitting and taking in the room, the progression of the visit follows a hallway where in April there was a temporary exhibit on Italian comic books and graphic novels. There wasn't a lot of English translation though it was intriguing to view the pages, art, books on display. Following this exhibit was a step into one of the former auditorium classrooms which showcases some of the thousands of student coats of arms lining the walls and ceiling within this complex. Apparently each coats of arms represented a student's background, and the honor of placing this permanent badge on the wall went to elected students leaders. An interesting spot to spend 45 min to 1 hour checking out. Reservations are required on Saturdays and holidays. There are lockers and bathrooms located in the building. Mobility accessible entry available.

Call us immature but we loved this fountain because we started calling Bologna the city of boobies…read moreafter visiting it. I wish I spoke Italian so I could say it in a more romantic way, like the other nicknames for this city. And hey, we weren't the only ones because what supported our claim that we saw plenty of magnets and souvenirs decorated in this fashion. But more seriously, this fountain is lovely. The area has places to sit and enjoy people watching or having a snack. The rest of the piazza has great views and places to eat, drink and shop.

The fountain in the center of Bologna's main square was completed in 1565. The over-life-size…read morebronze figure of the god Neptune was completed & fixed in place around 1566. I appreciated the water fountain in front; the free water was icy cold @ delicious. The fountain & sculpture are iconic symbols Bologna & references to them can be found in many symbols, commercials and logos. Neptune is stretching his left hand in a lordly gesture, appearing to be aiming to placate the waves. His posture symbolic of the power of the Pope as Neptune was the master of the seas, the Pope was the master of Bologna and of the world.

A piece of history! Worthwhile to take a stop nearby the main square in Bologna and admire these…read morefeats of medieval architecture. As of end Dec 2023 both towers are closed for maintenance as the base and building materials have deteriorated and are no longer safe for tours. Prior to closing stairway access to the top via 498 steps (according to their website) was available for €5 to the taller tower Asinelli, with shorter tower Garisenda already under repair. There is a public website commune.bologna.it where anyone can donate to the restoration campaign.

Between the 12th and the 13th century, Bologna was a city full of towers. Almost all the towers…read morewere tall defensive stone towers. Besides the towers, there are still some fortified porticos that correspond to the gates of the 12th-century city. The richest families used these towers for offensive/defensive purposes during the period of the Investiture Controversy. In the 13th century, many towers were demolished or collapsed. Many towers have been used as a prison, city tower, shop or residential building. The 2 towers remained a famous sight of Bologna throughout the later periods; even Dante mentioned some of the towers in his Inferno.

We just came for a quick look. We had our Bulldog with, so we didn't climb up (at least I have an…read moreexcuse). But even from the ground the two Towers are quite the sight. Well, the Asinelli Tower is a bit more impressive, with just a little short of 100m in height. The Garisenda Tower is interesting as well though, mostly because it is quite visibly slanting. Talking about a leaning tower. Surely great landmarks in a fascinating city. Just a quick walk away from the Piazza Maggiore.

Totally worth the climb up. Make sure you buy tickets in advance. You will be assigned a time slot…read moreand they only admit one group at a time. Allow about 10-15 minutes to get up depending on how crowded it is. The view at the top is absolutely breathtaking! The brick roofs and old architecture of the surrounding buildings make the city look like a portal back in time.

I did not know there were canals in Bologna. It doesn't surround the town, but if you look at the…read moredrawing provided, you will see the vast network of water passageways in the city. It doesn't look or smell great, but historically the waterways had importance centuries ago for transport or for building the original structures. A nice fact to learn about while in Bologna.

The famous and kitschy door that opens up to a beautiful canal that spans Bologna. It's a…read more"must-see" touristy thing to do!

Palazzo d'Accursio (or Palazzo Comunale) is located on the Piazza Maggiore. Most visitors skip…read morethis one and so miss an important piece of the history of Bologna, as this building has been the seat of the city's political power since the Middle Ages. The palace is also home to the Civic Art Collection, with paintings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century; the Museo Morandi, with the works by Giorgio Morandi; and the Biblioteca Salaborsa, the town libraries. Make sure you look at the entrance; there is a statue of Bologna native Pope Gregory XIII, blessing passersby. To its left is a statue of the Madonna con Bambino by sculptor Niccolò dell'Arca.