Free Walking Tour Bologna: Piazza to the Two Towers

Your Bologna Walking Tour Stop by Stop, from Piazza to Podestà

1. 1

   Piazza Maggiore

   

   Piazza Maggiore has been Bologna's gathering place since the 13th century, when the commune bought up houses on this spot and pulled them down to make room for a market square. Stand in the middle and turn slowly: almost every side shows you a different century. To the north rises the Palazzo del Podestà, the oldest of the buildings, crowned by the Torre dell'Arengo, with the Palazzo Re Enzo added onto it. You come back to it at the very end, so just fix it in your mind for now.

   To the west the Palazzo d'Accursio, also called Palazzo Comunale, closes the square: a 14th-century palace that still serves as city hall and also houses the Museo Morandi. Opposite the Podestà, on the south side, the unfinished façade of the Basilica of San Petronio towers over everything.

   The east side looks like one long palace but is really a screen. The Palazzo dei Banchi was put up between 1565 and 1568 on a design modelled on Giacomo Barozzi, to replace humbler houses while keeping the old streets that crossed there. Its portico runs straight on into the portico of the Archiginnasio, the old seat of the university.

   The square took its present outline in the 15th century; in the 16th the pope had the whole area remodelled through Cardinal Charles Borromeo, which gave the neighbouring Piazza Nettuno its fountain by Giambologna. From 1860 the square carried the name of King Victor Emmanuel II, and his equestrian statue stood here until 1945, when it moved to the Giardini Margherita, where it still is.

   The square is free and open at any hour. Give it ten minutes, then walk 40 m, about a minute, to the doors of the basilica.

   Hours

   Open 24/7 (public square, no gate)

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Piazza Maggiore on Google Maps ↗

2. 2

   Basilica of San Petronio

   

   The Basilica of San Petronio dominates the square, and its size explains why: 132 m long, 66 m wide and 47 m tall, it is described as the most imposing church in Bologna. It is dedicated to Saint Petronius, bishop of the city in the fifth century and its patron saint. Look up at the façade, designed by Domenico da Varignana and begun in 1538 by Giacomo Ranuzzi: it has never been finished.

   This was planned as a civic temple, not a cathedral. In 1388 the city's General Council of Six Hundred prepared the project, and to clear the ground a whole neighbourhood disappeared, including at least eight churches and towers. The first stone was laid on 7 June 1390 under the architect Antonio di Vincenzo. Then the centuries dragged on: the side chapels were only completed in 1479, and Cardinal Baldassarre Cossa held things up by selling the building materials and pocketing the money.

   In 1514 Arduino degli Arriguzzi planned a vast dome that would have needed larger transepts and apses. Two pillars and two triangular pylons were built, then work stopped. Legend says Pope Pius IV ended this 'megalomaniac dream' and steered the city toward building the Archiginnasio instead. The church passed from the city to the diocese only in 1929, was consecrated in 1954, and has kept the relics of Saint Petronius only since 2000; before that they lay in Santo Stefano.

   Going in is free and worth it for everyone, even for ten minutes, and its museum is free as well. The side chapels, among them the Bolognini chapel (Cappella dei Re Magi), San Sebastiano and San Vincenzo Ferrer, charge admission: worth it if painting is your thing. From the doors it is 190 m, three minutes, to the Archiginnasio.

   Hours

   Daily 10:00–18:00; last entry 10 min before closing

   Price

   Basilica: free. Side chapels (Cappella dei Re Magi/Bolognini, San Sebastiano, San Vincenzo Ferrer): 5 EUR full, 3 EUR reduced (11-18, over 65, guided groups, university groups), 2 EUR school groups, free under 10 / disabled / clergy / convention-card holders. Museum: free.

   Website

   basilicadisanpetronio.org ↗

   Location

   Basilica of San Petronio on Google Maps ↗

3. 3

   Archiginnasio

   

   The long portico you are following belongs to the Archiginnasio, for centuries the main building of the University of Bologna. It was the papal answer to San Petronio's halted dome: commissioned by Pope Pius IV through his legate Charles Borromeo and vice-legate Pier Donato Cesi during the years of the Council of Trent, and entrusted to Antonio Morandi, known as il Terribilia. Work began at the end of February 1562, and the building was inaugurated on 21 October 1563, remarkably fast.

   The idea was to bring the university under one roof. Until then the schools of the Legisti, who studied canon and civil law, and of the Artisti, who covered philosophy, medicine, mathematics, natural sciences and physics, were scattered across town. The name comes from the classical term for the Studium, as Bologna's university was first called. At the heart of the palace lies the university chapel of Santa Maria dei Bulgari.

   The university moved out in 1803 to Palazzo Poggi, where it still is. Primary schools used the building for a few years, and from 1838 the city library took over. It began with the books gathered when Napoleon closed the religious orders and is now the largest library in Emilia-Romagna: some 850,000 volumes and pamphlets, 2,000 incunabula and 8,500 manuscripts, most of them about Bologna's own civil, religious and social history.

   Is the inside worth it? If the history of medicine or of the university draws you, yes. You visit the palace and the Anatomical Theatre with an audio guide or on a live guided tour, and the visit takes about 40 minutes. If you only want the story, walk the portico and move on: the Basilica of San Domenico is 370 m away, five minutes on foot.

   Hours

   Palace & Anatomical Theatre (audio-guided): Mon–Sat 10:00–17:40 (entries every 10 min, ~40-min visit), closed Sunday. Library: Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, Sat 9:00–14:00 (Aug: Mon–Fri 9:00–14:00), closed Sun, Saturdays in August, and national holidays.

   Price

   Palace + Anatomical Theatre (audio-guided visit): 10 EUR full, 8 EUR reduced (13-18, university students, Card Cultura/Bologna Welcome Card), 3.50 EUR Bologna metro-area residents, free under 12 / disabled + companion / guides. Guided tour instead of audio-guide: 12 EUR full, 10 EUR reduced, 7 EUR resident/card.

   Website

   archiginnasio.it ↗

   Location

   Archiginnasio on Google Maps ↗

4. 4

   Basilica of San Domenico

   

   The Basilica of San Domenico holds the grave of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans. His remains lie in the Arca di San Domenico, a shrine that passed through generations of hands: Nicola Pisano and his workshop, Arnolfo di Cambio, and later Niccolò dell'Arca and a young Michelangelo. Look for it inside; it is the reason most visitors come.

   Dominic Guzman reached Bologna in January 1218 and saw at once what this lively university town could mean for his preaching. His brothers first lived at the Mascarella church, soon outgrew it, and in 1219 moved to the small church of San Nicolò of the Vineyards, then on the edge of town. Dominic held the first two General Chapters of his order here in 1220 and 1221, died here on 6 August 1221 and was buried behind the altar.

   After his death the brothers bought up the land around it, and between 1228 and 1240 the little church grew into this basilica, which became the model for Dominican churches across the world. It was split in two: the brothers' 'internal church' in early Gothic style, and the 'external church' for the faithful with the simple columns of the old building. Pope Innocent IV consecrated it on 17 October 1251, the day the crucifix by Giunta Pisano was first shown to the faithful.

   Entry is free and worth it for the Arca alone. Mind the midday break, since visits can also be limited during services. Then comes the longest church-to-church leg so far: 550 m, seven minutes, to the Basilica di Santo Stefano.

   Hours

   Weekdays: 7:00–13:00 & 15:30–20:00; Saturday: 7:15–13:00 & 15:30–19:30; Sunday/holidays: 7:55–12:30 & 15:30–19:00. Museum (by request): Mon–Sat 9:00–12:00 & 15:30–18:00, Sun/holidays 15:00–17:00. Hours may be restricted during religious services.

   Price

   Free entry to the basilica.

   Website

   sandomenicobologna.it ↗

   Location

   Basilica of San Domenico on Google Maps ↗

5. 5

   Basilica di Santo Stefano

   

   The Basilica di Santo Stefano is not one church but a cluster of them, which is why locals call it Sette Chiese, the Seven Churches, or Santa Gerusalemme, Holy Jerusalem. Tradition says Saint Petronius built it over a temple of the goddess Isis and wanted it to recall the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Moving from one space into the next is the whole point here.

   Start in the Church of the Crucifix, of Lombard origin and from the 8th century: a single nave under a trussed roof. On the left stands the 18th-century group of the Compianto sul Cristo morto by Angelo Gabriello Piò; in the raised presbytery hangs the Crucifix by Simone dei Crocifissi from about 1380, framed by 15th-century frescoes of the martyrdom of Saint Stephen. Beneath lies the crypt, five naves on columns that don't match. Legend says one of them is exactly Jesus' height, about 1.70 m, very tall for the time; at its far end rest the remains of Saints Vitale and Agricola.

   Beyond are the Church of Saints Vitale and Agricola, dating from the 4th century and rebuilt in the 12th, the 13th-century Courtyard of Pilate, the Church of the Trinity, and the Chapel of the Bandage, dedicated to the strip of cloth the Virgin Mary wore around her head in mourning.

   Entry is currently free, and this is the stop to linger at, half an hour at least. Arrive before the midday closing or after it reopens. The Two Towers are 330 m away, four minutes on foot.

   Hours

   Mon 18:00–19:30 only; Tue–Sat 7:30–12:30 & 14:30–19:30; Sun and public holidays 8:30–13:00 & 15:00–19:30. The courtyards and cloisters close on Mondays and otherwise open 9:30–12:30 & 14:30–19:00/19:30

   Price

   Free entry at present.

   Website

   santostefanobologna.it ↗

   Location

   Basilica di Santo Stefano on Google Maps ↗

6. 6

   Two Towers

   

   The Two Towers are the symbol of Bologna, and both lean. The taller is the Asinelli; the shorter one with the stronger tilt is the Garisenda. They stand where the roads to the five gates of the old wall met, and carry the names of the families said to have built them between 1109 and 1119, perhaps as a contest over who was more powerful. Documents are scarce: the Asinelli name first turns up in 1185, almost 70 years later.

   The Asinelli is thought to have started at about 70 m and been raised later to its present 97.2 m. In the 14th century the city owned it and used it as a prison and small fort. Around 30 m up, a wooden structure was added with an aerial footbridge across to the Garisenda, credited to Giovanni Visconti, Duke of Milan, who reportedly wanted to keep an eye on the restless Mercato di Mezzo, today's Via Rizzoli. The Visconti were unpopular rulers, and a fire in 1398 destroyed the footbridge. Lightning caused damage and small fires again and again until a lightning rod went up in 1824.

   Writers kept coming back to them: Giosuè Carducci wrote them into his Barbarian Odes, Charles Dickens described them in Pictures from Italy, and Antal Szerb in The Third Tower.

   Both towers are currently closed, so this is an outside stop: step back, compare the two tilts and take your photo. From here it is 660 m, nine minutes, to Via Piella; on the way you pass the Mercato di Mezzo.

   Local name

   Due torri

   Status

   Currently closed

   Website

   bolognawelcome.com ↗

   Location

   Two Towers on Google Maps ↗

7. 7

   Finestrella di via Piella

   

   After the bustle around the towers, Via Piella asks very little of you: find the small window set in the wall on your left and look through it. That is the whole stop. The opening frames the Canale delle Moline, one of Bologna's hidden waterways, and the reason people talk about a 'little Venice' here.

   Keep your expectations right: it is a window, not a canal-side promenade, and it works precisely because it is small, free and open at any hour. Two minutes and a photo are enough.

   Then the route turns back toward the centre: 670 m, ten minutes, to the Neptune Fountain.

   Hours

   Open 24/7 (public street).

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Finestrella di via Piella on Google Maps ↗

8. 8

   Neptune Fountain

   

   The Neptune Fountain stands in Piazza del Nettuno, right next to Piazza Maggiore where you began. It is a model of the Mannerist taste of the mid-16th-century Italian courts, and it was also a political statement: Cardinal Legate Charles Borromeo commissioned it to celebrate the election of his uncle as Pope Pius IV, and an entire building was demolished to make room for it.

   The Palermo-born architect Tommaso Laureti designed and assembled it in 1563, the fountain was finished in 1565, and the over-life-size bronze Neptune was fixed in place around 1566. The god is an early work by Giambologna, who had entered a model for the Neptune fountain in Florence and lost that commission to Baccio Bandinelli.

   Walk around the basin, built of local stone and faced with Verona marble. At the base, four Nereids press their breasts and water jets out; cherubs hold dolphins standing for the great rivers of the then-known world, the Ganges, the Nile, the Amazon and the Danube, among papal emblems. Then look at Neptune's outstretched left hand calming the waves: just as he ruled the seas, the message went, the pope ruled Bologna and the world.

   The fountain is free and always accessible. The final stop is 80 m away, a minute's walk, and on the way you pass the Whispering Corners.

   Local name

   Fontana del Nettuno

   Hours

   Open 24/7 (public square monument).

   Price

   Free

   Website

   nettuno.comune.bologna.it ↗

   Location

   Neptune Fountain on Google Maps ↗

9. 9

   Palazzo del Podestà

   

   The Palazzo del Podestà, which you first saw from the middle of the square, went up around 1200 together with Piazza Maggiore as the seat of the podestà and his officials. The Palazzo Re Enzo was added between 1244 and 1246. Two streets cross beneath the complex under the Voltone del Podestà, the vaulted passage that is free and open at any hour.

   Above the Voltone stands the Torre dell'Arengo, a square brick tower built by Alberto di San Pietro in 1259 to replace a wooden one from 1212; its bell called the people together for extraordinary events. In 1453 Aristotile Fioravanti hung the present bell, the 'campanazzo', and began renewing the Romanesque façade in Renaissance style for Giovanni II Bentivoglio. It was never completed, because the Bentivoglio family was driven out of the city.

   On the main floor, the great Salone del Podestà, once a courtroom, served as the public theatre between 1581 and 1767 (the second version of Euridice was staged here in 1616) and later as a ball court. Early in the 20th century Adolfo De Carolis covered it with 'I Fasti della Città di Bologna', scenes from the Etruscan founding to the free commune, among them the capture of King Enzo and the abolition of serfdom in 1256 recorded in the Liber Paradisus. The ceiling frescoes were taken down for restoration after the Second World War and never returned.

   Before you leave, look at the lower walls: hundreds of floral panels, no two alike. The interior opens only for exhibitions and events, so treat this as an outside stop; part of the ground floor houses the city's tourist office. You are back on Piazza Maggiore, where the walk began.

   Hours

   Palace interior: not regularly open; visitable only during exhibitions/events (no fixed schedule). Voltone del Podestà (passage underneath): open 24/7, free, always accessible. The Bologna tourist office occupies part of the ground floor: Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, Sun 10:00–17:00 (that's the tourist-office desk, not a monument visit).

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Palazzo del Podestà on Google Maps ↗

Shorter Ways to Walk Bologna's Old Centre

The full route fits one morning, but it splits cleanly at the Basilica di Santo Stefano, and it works just as well without a single ticket.

Morning half: the piazza, the old university and two basilicas

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

For first-time visitors with a morning to spare. Walking time is 16 minutes. Optional tickets are the Archiginnasio visit and the side chapels in San Petronio; everything else is free. Start early, because San Domenico and Santo Stefano both close over midday.

Afternoon half: from Santo Stefano to the Podestà

Stops: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

For an afternoon or a second day. Walking time is 24 minutes and nothing costs money. Begin once Santo Stefano reopens after its lunch break, then let the towers, the canal window and the fountain lead you back to Piazza Maggiore.

The whole route without tickets

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

For tight budgets: all nine stops and 39 minutes of walking, with San Petronio, San Domenico and Santo Stefano visited inside for free. You only skip the paid Archiginnasio visit and the side chapels.

How Long Does This Bologna Tour Take with the Inside Visits?

The walking alone takes 39 minutes over 2.9 km. Add time inside San Petronio, the 40-minute Archiginnasio visit and a proper look at San Domenico and Santo Stefano, and the realistic total is about three and a half hours.

A morning that works: start on Piazza Maggiore at 9:50, step into San Petronio, begin the Archiginnasio visit around 10:30 and reach San Domenico at about 11:20. You arrive at Santo Stefano at 11:47, still before its midday break, stand under the Two Towers at about 12:20 and finish at the Palazzo del Podestà around 13:15, right in time for lunch.

The morning half alone takes about two and a half hours, the afternoon half about an hour and a half, and the full route without tickets about two hours and forty minutes.

Before You Start Walking Bologna

• Start and finish: Piazza Maggiore is the recommended start, but you can join at any stop. The route ends at the Palazzo del Podestà, back on the same square; if you join elsewhere, the GPS navigation in your browser can lead you from the last stop back to your start.
• Best day and time: Go in the morning. San Domenico and Santo Stefano both close over midday and reopen in the afternoon, and not every stop opens every day of the week, so check the Archiginnasio and Santo Stefano for your day.
• Costs: The route and all three basilicas are free. Paid extras are the Archiginnasio, with an audio guide or a live guide, and the San Petronio side chapels. The AI Tour Guide is optional: 100 free credits to start, then either €19.99 for this tour all-inclusive with no time limit, or €5 per hour.
• Getting around: The old town is easy on foot, and the porticoes give cover when it rains. If you do take a bus, buy the ticket beforehand, because it costs more on board; the day ticket only pays off from four rides.

Food and Breaks Along the Route: Ragù, Mortadella, Cappuccino

Bologna eats well and cheaply once you follow a few local habits: breakfast standing at the bar, fresh egg pasta at lunch, and a glass in a 15th-century osteria where you bring your own food.

Tourist Traps to Avoid in Bologna's Centre

• Menus offering spaghetti bolognese: Nobody in Bologna eats 'spaghetti bolognese'. A multilingual menu with photos that lists it is the surest sign of a tourist restaurant; walk on and order tagliatelle al ragù elsewhere. (Around Piazza Maggiore and Via Rizzoli)
• Offers built around the Two Towers: Both towers are closed, so any paid package that advertises them can only show them from outside. Don't pay extra for that; looking up at them is free.

Common Questions About Walking Bologna