Must-see attractions in Bologna

This exhibition space encased in a Renaissance mansion is frequently the site of blockbuster temporary art shows, which range in price from €6 to €14 …

Built in 1238, this basilica shelters the remains of San Domenico, founder of the Dominican order. Along the right aisle, the Cappella di San Domenico…

Think Gothic. This dark mysterious church was one of the first in Italy to be built in the French Gothic style. Inside check out the tomb of Pope…

This is one of Bologna's unsung gems. Inside, the magnificent 16th-century frescoes by Lorenzo Costa depicting the life and lurid death of St Cecilia and…

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…

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…

Avant-gardes, atheists and people who've had their fill of dark religious art can seek solace in one of Bologna's newer museums (opened 2007), housed in a…

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…

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…

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,…

A short walk north of Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s cathedral, the Metropolitana di San Pietro, has suffered redevelopment many times over the centuries…

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…