Bologna and its Arcades (BO) - UNESCO World Heritage Site - Emilia Romagna
- Tuttitaly
- Oct 14, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 8
The seat of the oldest university in the Western world. The #UNESCO Heritage site includes 12 groups of arcades and the surrounding built-up areas within the Municipality of Bologna, built from the twelfth century until today. They extend for about 62km... #tuttitaly
Bologna, the seat of the oldest Western university, became the European capital of culture in 2000, only to be declared a "creative city of music" by UNESCO in 2006.
Among the most important symbols of this city, we find the characteristic arcades or covered walkways that join streets, towers, and buildings, which only in the center reach a total length of about 38 km.
The Towers
In addition to these, we have the Towers. These offer tourists the opportunity to admire the wonderful panorama of the city from above. The Garisenda Tower and the Asinelli Tower are among the most important. These were part of a complex of about a hundred medieval towers, of which only about twenty examples remain today.
Then we remember the Accursi and Clock Tower, which dominates Piazza Maggiore, and the Azzoguidi Tower, part of the so-called "triad of medieval skyscrapers" of Bologna together with Torre Prendiparte and Torre Galluzzi.
Palaces
We are then spoiled for choice if we have to talk about historic buildings and palaces. Piazza Maggiore is home to three: the first is the Palazzo del Podestà, built around 1200, as the seat of the city government. Visitors can speak softly from opposite corners of the pillars that support the Tower for a particular acoustic effect.
Then we have the Re Enzo palace, which was joined to the previous one in 1244-46 and housed the so-called "prisoner king," King Enzo of Sardinia, son of Frederick II, for about 23 years. Finally, the Palazzo Comunale or d'Accursio, the residence of older people, is the highest governmental magistracy of the Municipality and today is the seat of the Municipality of Bologna.
Churches
Among the churches, we know the gothic basilica of San Petronio, located in Piazza Maggiore. Left unfinished in its original design, the church houses precious works such as the splendid Madonna Enthroned by Lorenzo Costa.
The Complex of the Seven Churches, located in Piazza Santo Stefano, is a true city sanctuary. And not far away, you can also visit San Giacomo Maggiore with the beautiful frescoes of the Bentivoglio chapel.
The National Art Gallery
Finally, we can visit the National Art Gallery, which collects works by artists of Giotto, Raffaello, Carracci, and the Archiginnasio of Bologna, the seat of the ancient University.
Don't forget to discover the seven secrets of Bologna:
The first secret: Little Venice...
The second secret: the telephone without strings...
The third secret: the three arrows...
The fourth secret: the erection of Neptune...
The fifth secret: Cannabis protectio...
The sixth secret: The broken vase at the top of the Asinelli Tower...
The seventh secret: panum resis…
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