Bologna is rich with history and culture behind every corner, and walking around its medieval city centre, one of the best-preserved in the world, is like visiting an open-air museum.
There are therefore numerous sights to see free of charge – such as the Piccola Venezia or the three arrows in the trusses of Corte Isolani – as well as just as many buildings.
Here are some free experiences you can enjoy in Bologna over the course of 24 hours.
If technology, art and innovation are your passions, you can begin your journey of discovery of the city's free attractions here.
Fondazione MAST offers projects aiming for integration between business and the community.
Inside the space you will find a programme of engaging exhibitions and free activities for all ages. The purpose of the foundation is, indeed, to encourage projects which leverage identity and creativity in order to develop new ideas and create new connections.
Bologna is undoubtedly most famous for its university and the cultural atmosphere which envelops the city.
A fundamental visit to enter into this climate is the Salaborsa library.
Housed in the Palazzo d’Accursio, which is the headquarters of the Municipality and has borne witness to extremely significant historic events, the public library hosts an enormous collection of books and publications of various types, as well as offering a view onto the past: through the glass panels in the floor, you can, indeed, admire the remains of the Roman city.
As well as the famous Giardini Margherita and the numerous parks which dot the city with green space, Bologna offers a rare experience allowing visitors to discover evocative and fascinating plants.
Right in the centre, on Via Irnerio, you can immerse yourself in Orto botanico (Botanical Gardens), where you will find four greenhouses – two tropical and two for succulents – as well as a small greenhouse for carnivorous plants.
It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe, with prized historical collections and a testimony to the care and interest that the city and its inhabitants have always shown towards this subject matter.
When exploring the city centre, you cannot avoid the seven secrets which envelop Bologna.
One of these is Basilica di Santo Stefano, an ancient Romanesque church which is in turn composed of seven smaller churches: these are a collection of different environments which date back to different historical eras, all in different architectural styles.
All interconnected, they lend the architectural complex an air of mystery.
The cradle of Bolognese religious culture, the basilica is framed by a beautiful piazza which is one of the focal points of city life.
Of the personalities who have shaped Bologna's history, painter Giorgio Morandi is undoubtedly one of the most important.
A visit to his house, located at Via Fondazza 36, is something which you cannot leave off your itinerary.
The residence, stage for the artist's private and professional lives, contains his vases, bottles, shells and study models restored to their original form.
The audio-video installations and the numerous volumes preserved in the library will accompany you along the last leg of this free path discovering Bologna.
