Italy, Emilia Romagna region, Mushroom shaped cinerary urn from San Vitale necropolis

Getty Images/DeAgostini

Museo Civico Archeologico

Bologna


Impressive in its breadth of coverage of historical eras, this museum displays well-documented Egyptian and Roman artefacts along with one of Italy's best Etruscan collections.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bologna attractions

1. Basilica di San Petronio

0.03 MILES

Bologna's hulking Gothic basilica is Europe's sixth-largest church, measuring 132m by 66m by 47m. Work began on it in 1390, but it was never finished, and…

2. Teatro Anatomico

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Housed in Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, the fascinating 17th-century Teatro Anatomico is where public body dissections were held under the sinister gaze of…

3. Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita

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In the heart of the Quadrilatero, this 17th-century shrine is one of Bologna's most beautiful and important, not only for its 13th-century foundation by…

4. Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio

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This palace was the seat of the city university from 1563 to 1805. These days its chief attraction is the fascinating 17th-century Teatro Anatomico, a…

5. La Terrazza Panoramica

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Basilica di San Petronio's new (and temporary) 54m-high panoramic terrace – reached from an entrance behind the basilica – doesn't hold a candle to the…

6. Piazza Maggiore

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All roads lead to pivotal 13th-century Piazza Maggiore, flanked by Basilica di San Petronio, Europe's sixth-largest basilica, and a series of impressive…

7. Palazzo Comunale

0.09 MILES

The palace that forms the western flank of Piazza Maggiore has been home to the Bologna city council since 1336. A salad of architectural styles, it owes…

8. Casa di Lucio Dalla

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The 15th-century Palazzo Casa Fontana poi Gamberini – the fascinating, pricier-than-the-Colosseum home of eccentric Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla …