www.t7h.it

Bologna’s sightseeing

la dotta (museums, university and

churches),

la rossa (buildings and the towers),

la grassa (specialties, restaurants and

bars).

A simple and useful guide

Via Morgagni 10, 40122 Bologna - +39 051272672 - www.t7h.it

Overview

From our spectacular penthouse, it’s easy to reach by foot all the main monuments,

squares and museum of Bologna. If you are interested in some attractions, museums,

restaurants don’t hesitate to ask to our staff for help or infos.

We truly enjoy taking care of you and we will do our best to satisfy your requests and

to realize your wishes while your staying in Bologna.

Here is a short guide to suggest you what to visit and to do during your stay in Bologna.

www.t7h.it

Useful links to share with our Guests

Bologna’s video presentation: https://youtu.be/cJj57iXlIqw

Bologna’s maps :

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/area-stampa/bologna-si-presenta/mappe-di-

bologna/

Here is the map of Bologna, with some pics about most important monuments and

attractions.

You can download the map in your own language:

1) English:

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/files/PDF/MAPPE/mappa456x305eng2.pdf

2)Spanish:

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/files/PDF/MAPPE/antmappa456x305espcard.pdf

3)Russian:

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/files/PDF/MAPPE/mappa456x305rus2.pdf

4) Chinese:

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/files/PDF/MAPPE/ant-mappa456x305chicard.pdf

www.t7h.it

Bologna… something unforgettable!!!

II. Short Bologna’s timeline

The first settlements in Bologna date back to at least 1000 BC. The city has been an

important urban center under the Etruscans and, after, under the Celts. Romans gave

to Bologna the actual name “Bononia” and built roads and buildings that somewhere

in the center you can see.

Then, in the 5th century, after a

long decline, Bologna was

reborn and rebuilt under

Bishop Petronius and in the

Middle Ages it became a free

municipality, the fifth largest

European city based on

population (bigger than Paris!). Bologna has the oldest university of the world,

founded in 1088, and has got the longest underwalk in the world, that brings to San

Luca Basel. There are more or less twenty medieval defensive towers remained out

of up to 200 that were built between the 12th and the 13th centuries. The most

important and famous one, that became the symbol ot the town, is the Torre Asinelli

from the name of the richest family who built the tallest tower of the city.

III. Defensive towers and ancient churches is what we recommend to see: Santo

Stefano church, San Pietro Dome and San Petronio church, San Luca Sanctuary,

Torre Asinelli, Re Enzo palace.

www.t7h.it

This is the view from S. Peter’s church, a unique view of the major square (piazza

Maggiore), of the biggest

church of Bologna (San

Petronio Church), of Palazzo

Re Enzo and Palazzo

d’Accursio.

The most famous tower in

Bologna is the Asinelli tower,

that is the tallest one but also

the most visited and it’s often crowded and, to get in, there are often long queues. To

avoid the

touristic

flows, on

Saturday

afternoon it’s

possible to

visit another

stunning

tower, in via

Avesella, on

the back of

the cathedral

of S.Peter.

Here are some pics from the guided tour of St. Peter’s bell tower.

www.t7h.it

As you can see, from this

tower you can have a 360

degrees view of the city and a

professional guide will wait

you at the top of the tower, to

tell you the fascinating

history of this magic place.

www.t7h.it

Santo Stefano Church or The Seven Churches – Piazza Santo Stefano

Opening: All days from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Santo Stefano church is the most particular church and perhaps monument in

Bologna. It’ s also called The Seventh Churches because of the seven parts of which it

has been constructed from the Middle Ages and first on a Roman Isis Temple.

According to tradition Saint Petronius, a bishop of the city during the 5th century,

built the basilica over a temple of the goddess Isis. The saint wished to have a

building that recalled the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The different parts of the complex include:

• Church of Saint John the Baptist or of the Holy Crucifix (8th century)

• Church of the Holy Sepulchre (according to tradition: 5th century)

• Church of the Saints Vitale and Agricola (4th century, rebuilt first in the 12th

century)

• Courtyard of Pilate ("Santo Giardino", 13th century)

• Church of the Trinity or of the Martyrium (13th century)

www.t7h.it

• Chapel of the Bandage ("Cappella della Benda") dedicated to the strip of cloth

worn around the head by the Virgin Mary as a sign of mourning.

Pilate's Courtyard recalls the lithostrotos, where Jesus was condemned; it leads to

the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the center, a basin called the "Catino di Pilato",

a Lombard work from 737-744.

Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca

Opening: All days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca is a basilica church, sited atop the hill

Monte della Guardia, some 300 metres above the city, along the road called Via

Saragozza.

While a road now leads up to the sanctuary, it is also possible to reach it along a

(3.8 km) monumental roofed arcade (Portico di San Luca) consisting of 666 arches,

which was built in 1674-1793.

The present church

was constructed in

1723 using the

designs of Carlo

Francesco Dotti. The

lateral external

tribunes were built

by Carlo Francesco's

son, Giovanni

Giacomo, using his father's plans.

www.t7h.it

From 1931 to 1976 an aerial cable car operated from the base of the hill on the

outskirts of Bologna, to the

summit. The total distance

covered in the 7 minute

travel time was 1328m

with a vertical difference of

220m. The operation was

closed due to increased

usage of private transport

to ascend the hill. The top

station is abandoned but intact, the bottom station has been converted into

apartments but remains structurally the same, and the single pylon remains intact in

a field.

IV. Hidden Bologna: Michelangelo and Cimabue in Bologna

We usually associate the name of Michelangelo with Florence and Rome, where the

great Renaissance artist was most active, leaving outstanding works of art.

However, not many people know that, at some point during his career, Michelangelo

spent his time in Bologna – twice to be precise – and left some works of art here too.

The first time Michelangelo came to Bologna was after the death of Lorenzo de’

Medici (1492), when he found himself with no patrons and no salary. The young artist

decided to try his luck in Venice, but nobody wanted to commission him any work.

www.t7h.it

On his way back to Tuscany, passing through Bologna, he was stopped at customs and

fined for not having paid the entry tax.

A Bolognese senator, the wealthy Giovan Francesco Aldrovandi, witnessed what was

happening, paid the fine for the penniless Tuscan and offered him a job: to be a

lecturer at his house for the works of Tuscan literary masters Dante, Petrarch and

Boccaccio, so he wouldn’t have to hear them read with a Bolognese accent.

Thanks to Aldrovandi’s connections, Michelangelo was assigned the task of making

three small

sculptures (Saint

Petronius, Saint

Proclus and an

angel holding a

torch) for the

Arca di San

Domenico (Ark of

Saint Dominic), the monumental tomb containing the remains of Saint Dominic, to

which other major artists of the time contributed.

The monument is one of Bologna’s most important pieces of art, and this is how

Bologna too can boast some art by Michelangelo.

Where can you see it? In the Basilica of San Domenico, on the piazza by the same

name.

www.t7h.it

Outside the Basilica of San Domenico you can find some particular high tombs: these

are the tombs of glossators (that you can find outside

the beautiful romanic Basilica of San Francesco,

placed in Piazza San Francesco), the most important

professor of the ancient

University in Bologna, in

particular in Law and

Arts (medicine,

philosophy, arithmetic,

astronomy, logic,

rhetoric and gramma).

In Bologna you can see also a painting of Cimabue in the

wonderful church of Santa Maria dei Servi in Strada

Maggiore, where, during Christams time, there is a

famous Christmas market named “Santa Lucia’

Christmas Market”.

V. Our favourite museums:

As museums we can suggest our favourite museums, probably not the most famous

in the city but the ones we are everyday glad to show to our friends and guest: they

are the Medieval Museum (the age in wich Bologna flourished and was more famous

than Paris) in Manzoni 4th street, the Archeological Museum (in the most famous

underwalk of the city named Pavaglione Portico where you can see the old and

www.t7h.it

wonderful library of Archiginnasio with iuts astonishing anatomical theatre in carved

wood (where there was the faculty of Medicine of the oldest University of the world).

If you like modern Art you can’t miss Mambo Museum too.

Museo Civico Medievale:

via Manzoni 4 - ph. 051 2193930 - 2193916

Open: from Tuesday to Friday: 9am-5pm;

Saturday, Sunday and holiday: 10am-6.30pm;

24th and 31st Dec 9pm-2pm

Museo Civico Archeologico: it has got one of the most important archaeological

collections in Italy.

There is an Etruscan section, Greek and

Roman art; there is also a unique collection

of Egyptian antiquities, one of the most

important of Europe.

Via dell’Archiginnasio 2 – ph. 051 2757211

open: Tuesday - Thursday: 9am-6.30pm;

Friday: 9am-10pm; Saturday, Sunday and holiday: 10am-6.30pm;

24th and 31st December: 9am-6.30pm

Mambo - Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna e Museo Morandi

via Don Minzoni 14 - ph. 051 6496611

Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 12pm-6pm;

Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday, 24th, 31st Dec: ore 12pm-8pm

www.t7h.it

VI. Where to eat, our suggestions

We have got a prestigious address, in a stylish and fashionable

neighborhood, full of restaurants and bars .

For a good breakfast, in via Riva di Reno, just 50 meters from

the penthouse, there is a huge bakery, called “La

Borbonica”…very tasty!!!

Our favourite restaurants:

They are surely “Gigina” (not in the historical centre), “Da Nello” in via Montegrappa,

“Merlò” via de Gombruti and, really close to the

apartment, the Fresh Fish Market and “Mercato

delle Erbe” (Vegetable Market).

Around the Market and inside the ancient

Market you can find bars, little restaurants and

wine bars for a tasty dinner or an aperitif!

Restaurants:

Trattoria della Gigina

Via Stendhal, 1 – Bologna

Phone: (+39) 051 322300

http://www.trattoriagigina.it/

www.t7h.it

Ristorante Da Nello

Al Montegrappa

Via Monte Grappa, 2 - Bologna

Phone: (+39) 051 236331

http://www.ristorantedanello.com/

Ristorante Merlò

Via de’ Gombruti, 2 – Bologna

Phone: (+39) 051 239645

http://www.ristorantemerlobologna.com/

Banco 32 al Mercato delle Erbe

Via S. Gervasio, 3/A - Bologna

Phone: (+39) 051 269522

https://m.facebook.com/BANCO-32-481451281972550/