Reggio Emilia
Just off main square, this small museum is a memorial to Reggio's proud role as birthplace of the Italian tricolour flag. At a meeting in the multi-tiered…
Must-see attractions in Emilia-Romagna
Rimini
Rimini is perhaps a tad over-excited about this newer attraction: a church and hospital dating to 1368 beautifully restored and converted into a small…
Modena
The Museo Civico d'Arte is one of two jointly administered city museums – the other beingMuseo Civico Archeologico Etnologico – inside the Palazzo dei…
Piacenza
An ultra-dark church even by Italian standards, Piacenza’s cold, dungeonlike cathedral is classic Romanesque. If you can strain your eyes hard enough, you…
Emilia-Romagna
This museum in the centre of Busseto is inside the home of composer Verdi's patron, and was the site of Verdi's first concert. It is lovingly curated and…
Parma
Stretching along the west bank of the Parma river, these formal gardens seem like Parma personified – refined, peaceful and with barely a blade of grass…
Ravenna
A son of Florence, Italy's Sommo Poeta (supreme poet), Dante Alighieri, was expelled from the city of his birth in 1302 for political reasons and spent…
Museo Civico Archeologico Etnologico
Modena
Housed together with the jointly administered Museo Civico d'Arte inside the Palazzo dei Musei, this small museum has well-displayed local finds from…
Modena
A nostalgic journey back in time for any kid who ever owned a Panini football sticker collection, this geeky museum is tucked away upstairs in the Palazzo…
Bologna
This 13th-century palace is named after King Enzo, the illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who was held here by papal forces between 1249…
Modena
The Biblioteca Estense, inside the Palazzo dei Musei, holds one of Italy’s most valuable collections of books, letters and manuscripts, including the…
Rimini
The city's finest palazzi hug the attractive Piazza Cavour. On its northern flank, Palazzo del Municipio, built in 1562 and reconstructed after being…
Bologna
Dating to the 13th century, the Palazzo del Podestà was the original residence of Bologna's chief magistrate. Beneath the palazzo there's a whispering…
Bologna
Adjacent to Piazza Maggiore, Piazza del Nettuno owes its name to this explicit bronze statue sculpted by Giambologna in 1566. Beneath the muscled sea god,…
Parma
With its dramatic tower and a giant sundial added in 1829, this 17th-century palazzo dominates the north side of Piazza Garibaldi, Parma's central square…
Rimini
This imposing Gothic palazzo on the northern edge of pretty Piazza Cavour dates to the 14th century. It is not open to the public yet, but a new Museum of…
Reggio Emilia
Formerly known as Palazzo San Francesco, the flagship of Reggio's five Musei Civici (Civic Museums) houses thematic collections of Roman archaeological…
Ferrara
Your ticket to Palazzo Schifanoia also gives entry to this nearby museum, which has a small, undocumented collection of Roman and Etruscan stele, tombs…
Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Pietro
Bologna
A short walk north of Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s cathedral, the Metropolitana di San Pietro, has suffered redevelopment many times over the centuries…
Reggio Emilia
Reggio's 13th-century cathedral was first built in Romanesque style but was given a comprehensive makeover 300 years later. Nowadays, virtually all that…
Bologna
Climb 110 steps into the cupola of the city's postcard 18th-century hilltop Basilica Santuario della Madonna di San Luca for an 180-degree view back…
Parma
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale exhibits Roman artefacts discovered around Parma, Etruscan finds from the Po valley and a small but fascinating exhibit…
Ferrara
This museum houses various artefacts from Ferrara's duomo, including a serene Madonna by Jacopo della Quercia, a couple of vigorous Cosimo Tura canvases,…
Museo del Risorgimento e della Resistenza
Ferrara
Next door to Pinacoteca Nazionale, this small museum exhibits documents, proclamations and posters from the Italian unification movement and WWII, as well…
Ferrara
This early Renaissance palace houses three museums: the Museo Giovanni Boldini, dedicated solely to Ferrara-born Giovanni Boldini; the Museo dell…
Ferrara
Established in 1938, this museum – closed through to 2023 for restoration after suffering earthquake damage in 2012 – is home to the most important…
Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Filippo de Pisis
Ferrara
While normally housing an extensive collection of works by native Ferrara painter and poet Filippo de Pisis (as well as a collection of paintings and…
Emilia-Romagna
The humble, sparsely furnished cottage where Giuseppe Verdi was born in 1813 is now a small museum. Grab a tablet at the entrance to take advantage of…
Ferrara
Normally housing an impressive collection of 19th-century religious, literary and historical art, this museum will be closed through to 2023 for…
