The best one-day introduction to Bologna's monuments, drawn from the city's own signposted itinerary.
Last updated August 27, 2026
This is the best one-day introduction to Bologna's monuments. From Piazza Maggiore, follow the Pavaglione to the Civic Archaeological Museum and the Archiginnasio, then continue through Piazza Galvani, San Domenico, Santo Stefano, the Mercanzia, San Giacomo Maggiore, Palazzo Malvezzi de' Medici and San Francesco. The route finishes with the tombs of the glossators and, if time permits, the Certosa.
| Stop | Place | What it adds to the route |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civic Archaeological Museum | Villanovan, Etruscan, Greek, Roman and Egyptian collections |
| 2 | Archiginnasio | The university palace, student heraldry, Anatomical Theatre and Stabat Mater Hall |
| 3 | Basilica of San Domenico | The founder's tomb, Niccolò dell'Arca, Michelangelo and the choir |
| 4 | Basilica of Santo Stefano | The surviving four churches of the Sette Chiese complex |
| 5 | Palazzo della Mercanzia | Gothic commerce, guild courts and the Chamber of Commerce |
| 6 | Basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore | Bentivoglio Chapel, Francia, Costa and the Renaissance portico |
| 7 | Palazzo Malvezzi de' Medici | A Renaissance and Baroque aristocratic palace now used by the Province |
| 8 | Basilica of San Francesco and the glossators | French Gothic architecture and the tombs of the great law teachers |
The museum has occupied Palazzo Galvani, the former Ospedale della Morte, since 1881. Its holdings move from local prehistory and the Villanovan period through Etruscan, Greek and Roman archaeology, with a major Egyptian collection. Highlights include the Roman lapidary, Etruscan and Villanovan tomb goods, the Great Tomb from the Giardini Margherita, Fidia's Lemnia Athena and the Egyptian material. The museum also preserves the Patera Cospiana, the signed black-figure vase by Nikosthenes, the Situla della Certosa and the rich equipment of the Tomba dello Sgabello.
Official site →Antonio Morandi, known as Terribilia, completed this university palace in 1562-1563at the request of Pope Pius IV. Its long portico and central courtyard brought Bologna's law and arts schools together under one roof. The Studium remained here until 1803. More than six thousand painted shields and student inscriptions cover the walls, while the library preserves a vast collection for study. The Anatomical Theatre, built in 1637, was reconstructed after wartime bombing; Ercole Lelli's Spellati stand beside the reader's chair. The Stabat Mater Hall recalls the first Bolognese performance of Rossini's Stabat Mater in 1842, conducted by Donizetti.
Tip: The Pavaglione is not only a route to the museum: its marble pavement, arcades and view towards San Petronio are part of the experience.
Official site →The Dominican complex began in the early 13th century after Domenico settled in Bologna. The church was enlarged from 1234 and consecrated in 1251. Niccolò dell'Arca began the marble crown for the founder's tomb in 1469, and a young Michelangelo carved San Petronio and San Procolo for it. The museum occupies rooms between the sacristy and choir and gathers paintings and sculptures once scattered through the church and convent, including a 17th-century Moses in the Desert attributed to Mastelletta and a terracotta Piety by Baccio da Montelupo.
Tip: The later choir, the Rosary Chapel and the Arca of San Domenico reward a second, slower look. For a guided visit, the listed contact is [email protected].
The Piazza Santo Stefano complex is traditionally called the Sette Chiese, although four churches survive. Its origins are associated with Bishop Petronio in the 5th century and with a possible earlier sanctuary to Isis. The surviving group includes the Church of the Crucifix, the octagonal Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Basilica of Saints Vitale and Agricola and the Church of the Trinity. The complex contains the tomb of San Petronio, the 5th-century sarcophagi of the two martyrs, Pilate's Courtyard, a medieval Benedictine cloister and a small museum of sacred art.
Tip: Look for the column in the crypt associated by legend with Christ's height, the black column of the Holy Sepulchre and the carved details in Pilate's Courtyard.
Built between 1384 and 1391 on the site of the old customs house, this brick Gothic palace was designed by Antonio di Vincenzo and decorated by Giovanni and Pietro dalle Masegne. Merchants and guilds settled disputes here before elected judges, with a second level of appeal. The Chamber of Commerce has occupied the building since the Napoleonic decree of 27 June 1811. The atrium and Council Hall preserve the building's commercial and judicial character.
Tip: The palace is also linked to Bologna's registered recipes. The official gold tagliatelle model is 8 mm wide when cooked, a tiny fraction of the Asinelli Tower.
The Augustinian church was built between 1267 and 1315 and consecrated in 1344. Its bell tower dates to 1471, while the portico and the interior carry the marks of the Renaissance and later remodelling. The Bentivoglio Chapel, commissioned by Annibale Bentivoglio in 1445, contains work by Lorenzo Costa and Francesco Francia, including the 1494 Madonna enthroned with Child and Saints. The adjacent Oratorio di Santa Cecilia is known for the fresco cycle commissioned by Giovanni II Bentivoglio, with scenes by Francia, Costa and Amico Aspertini.
Tip: The annual Santa Rita celebration is held on 22 May; tradition says the rose received then should be kept for good luck.
The Malvezzi family, established in Bologna by the 12th century, commissioned this palace from Bartolomeo Triachini in 1560. Its shaded portico gave it the nickname palazzo dal portico buio. The monumental staircase was designed by Francesco Bibiena and built by Alfonso Torreggiani in 1725. Later 19th-century decoration survives in the reception rooms, which the Province of Bologna acquired in 1931.
Franciscans reached Bologna in 1221 and Francis preached in the city in 1222. Their French Gothic basilica was completed in 1254 and contains a marble altar by Jacobello and Pier Paolo dalle Masegne. The garden outside holds the restored tombs of the legal scholars Accursio, Odofredo and Rolandino dei Romanzi. Accursio's 13th-century Glossa ordinaria gathered and commented on the work of generations of jurists and became a major foundation for the study of Roman law.
Tip: Piazza Malpighi, behind the basilica, is the clearest place to compare the three surviving glossator tombs: Rolandino's has four lions, Accursio's is the more severe pyramidal monument, and Odofredo's has two rows of columns.
The Certosa combines an Etruscan necropolis, a Carthusian monastery founded in the 14th century and the modern cemetery opened in 1801. Its communicating chapels, cloisters and porticos form an open-air museum of Neoclassical, realist and 20th-century sculpture. San Girolamo preserves a rich Baroque cycle by artists including Pasinelli, Gessi, Cesi, the Sirani and Amico Aspertini. The cemetery became a celebrated stop for Grand Tour travellers, and its burials include Giosuè Carducci, Giorgio Morandi, Ottorino Respighi and members of the Maserati and Ducati families.
Tip: Ask for the monument map at the entrance. The listed address is Via della Certosa 18, with the main route reached from the San Luca portico.
Official site →