Piazza Maggiore
Bologna
The beating heart of Bologna since the Middle Ages, Piazza Maggiore is the city's living room, surrounded by the palaces of civic and religious power. San Petronio, Palazzo del Podestà and Palazzo d'Accursio all face onto it. Your treasure map takes you to the place where the city's life has pulsed for centuries.
History
Piazza Maggiore was born in the 13th century, when the Comune decided to create a central space for the market and public functions, buying and demolishing the houses that stood there. The great palaces of communal power were built around the square, making it the political, religious and economic centre of Bologna.
What to see
On the south side towers the Basilica di San Petronio with its unfinished façade. Opposite stands Palazzo del Podestà, with its elegant voltone (great vaulted passage), while on the west side rises Palazzo d'Accursio, today the seat of the Comune (city council). Along the east side runs Palazzo dei Banchi, behind which lies the old Quadrilatero market.
Right next door is Piazza del Nettuno with Giambologna's famous fountain.
Curiosities
Under the voltone del Podestà hides a curious acoustic effect: two people standing in opposite corners, facing the wall, can clearly hear each other whisper despite the distance. The raised central strip of paving, in white and pink granite, is fondly called "il crescentone" by the people of Bologna.
Visiting
The square is fully pedestrianised and open at all hours. It is the ideal starting point for exploring the historic centre: from the porticoes to the Two Towers, everything is just a few minutes away on foot.
