Situated in Piazza Maggiore the imposing front face of the basilica stands out immediately, its…read morehalf-brick, half-finished white and red marble lower half stark in contrast. The finished face of the cathedral is sparsely adorned compared to similar church buildings of the same period. Inside the soaring cream-colored vaulted ceilings also contrast with the terra-cotta column and archway edges, another reflection of the white and red colors of the city. The main apse ceiling appears modest and undecorated, though a few of the smaller chapel ceilings exemplify the colorful murals that may have been intended for the total ceiling once finished. Interestingly enough when looking up some history this basilica was meant to serve as a more of a civil center rather than purely religious building. Entry is free (donations suggested) and no advance reservation is needed. When I came by on a Tuesday afternoon in April the church was finishing up a service, all the while allowing passersby to enter and visit, of course asking to maintain a respectful silence. Parishioners lit candles and prayed in front of the local patron saint as well as at individual chapels. Intriguing to get a glimpse into how different cultures interact in places of worship.

The Italian Gothic basilica is dedicated to Saint Petronius, who was the bishop of Bologna in the…read more5th century. A life size statue of him is in the basilica. It was built in 1390 and its main facade is still unfinished. The building was transferred from the city to the diocese in 1929 and was consecrated in 1954. 28,000 people can fit inside, it is enormous. The altar contains a 15th-century wooden crucifix. At the back, a fresco of the Madonna and cartoons. The ornate ciborium of the main altar was built in 1547. The 15th century wooden choir was completed by Agostino de 'Marchi. The vaulting and decoration of the central nave is by Girolamo Rainaldi, who completed it in 1646. The nave contains twenty-two side chapels each more ornate than the next. In 2002 five Al Quads terrorists were arrested, they were planning to blow up the basilica. They were angry a fresco depicts Mohammed in hell being devoured by demons.

About a 10 minute walk south from Piazza Maggiore and Basilica di San Petronio is this smaller yet…read moreno less impressive basilica, dedicated to San Domenico (Saint Dominic), who was the founder of the Dominican order. His tomb lies inside this church. While I knew pretty much nothing about the Dominican order other than having heard they were an order of the Catholic Church, it's interesting after some googling to learn that they were a more intellectual, educational branch focused on religious teachings in a practical context. In any case, visiting this building was quite simple, entrance is free (donations suggested) and early April on a weekday afternoon there was basically no one else save a couple clergy, a few people from a construction team working on setting up for an event, and a handful of curious tourists like me wandering around inside. The red and white colors of the city are prevalent in the decor of the nave columns covered with a deep red floral jacquard pattern. I thought it was unique in that the altar areas located in the side transepts (according to google these are the "arms" or transverse aisle crossing the main nave creating the form of a cross) were much more elaborate than the main altarpiece in the central area. Some masterful paintings well-maintained too. Quiet location for some solace and meditation.

The Cathedral of San Pietro is one of the oldest buildings in the city and the main place of…read moreworship. The exterior is a mish-mash of Carrera marble and brick. It is interesting that the Cathedral is dedicated to a Saint (Peter the Apostole) and not the patron of the city of Mantua who was Saint Anselm, Bishop of Lucca, whose incorrupt body is preserved in the Cathedral and is exposed to the citizens on March 18 by every year. The Duomo was really lovely inside. Interestingly, the Stations of the Cross on the walls of the nave (main part of the church) were done in very modern terra cotta and were actually quite beautiful.

This square is almost like a hub to all of the best sightseeing in Bologna. It's the central…read moresquare where a lot of the interesting sights are located. While we were there, they were setting up for some sort of viewing with a huge screen and plenty of seats. I didn't look up what it was for but I assume that because this square is so large and central, they do this sort of thing all of the time. We visited the fountain, the church and the shops and restaurants branching off from this square and we also took the San Luca express from here. Great way to landmark yourself in the city.

Other Yelp reviewers have covered many of the major points regarding location and this square's…read morecentrality to all the major site seeing attractions nearby. I'll add a few notes on some of the notable places to visit in and around this piazza: - Palazzo Re Enzo in April 2024 wasn't open to the public for general viewing, inside are mainly government offices. - Biblioteca Salaborsa: cool library building for history and architecture fans. Aside from the impressive details of the current building. Roman ruins are visible from main library floor and visitable underneath the library. See my separate review for this! - Biblioteca Communale and the Two Towers (Asinelli Tower and Garisenda Tower--not to be confused with LOTR) are about a 5 minute walk from this square. Towards the south for the historical library with a historic anatomical studies operating room, and directly east for the towers. - Signorvino: decent spot to people watch, enjoy some wine and a light meal or charcuterie while taking in the view of the piazza. Indoor and outdoor seating available. - Fontana del Nettuno: ask the locals about the legend around the sea god's sculpture...walk around it to view at different angles...maybe not appropriate for kiddies. - Cinema Modernissimo: recently renovated (end 2023) old school movie theater from 1915 that's underground and on the block next to the piazza. They play Italian classics, and both old and modern movies, tickets starting at €6 and some movies with free entry. All showings book up very quickly, so move fast--as of end June all paid shows were booked up thru end November. Hope anyone reading this enjoys their time in Bologna as much as I did!

Just coming up to this church is an adventure of itself, whether you have walked all 666 porticos,…read moretook the San Luca Express or drove up. The sweeping views of Bologna and the hills are absolutely stunning and worth whichever way you decided to come up the hill. Then you get here and this gorgeous church is in front of you and you can't help but want to check it out. Outside of the church are places to sit and little gardens to enjoy. Sparrows are constantly flittering about. Once you are inside, you can see how lovely this place was decorated and you can see the relic that they were trying to preserve. Very beautiful, very old and worth the trip for sure.

To preface.... portico (noun): as defined by the Oxford…read moreEnglish Dictionary is "a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building." Bologna is famous for its porticos. They are built attached to the facades of almost every building in the city center and if you were to walk under every single one in totality it would cover 38.5miles (62km). More importantly--the portico walkway leading up to this building and viewpoint meanders along a 2.4 mile (3.8km) path. So basically 2.4 miles of continuous uphill. Which I know now, but not then. Terrific for anyone looking for a workout. Having read this portico was the longest in the world, it somehow escaped me to check its exact length before attempting to walk this on a warm sunny day. (In retrospect they probably don't share the exact number of stairs on their website because it would scare off a number of visitors haha.) Having already walked to the base of the hill from Piazza Maggiore, the trek uphill was...let's say...arduous. It was terrifically maintained, they were even repouring cement and re-laying stairs on sections of the path. The porticos made a big difference in blocking some of the overhead sunlight because surely in the heat I might have melted into a puddle and given up. Ironically not knowing the distance helped --I kept thinking I was almost there and laughed inside at people taking the small trolley uphill at their inability to handle the slope, until I turned a corner and saw for myself about several hundred more stairs. After slight regret set in, I continued on in an effort to finish what I'd begun. (Prior to that part much of the walkway was a sloped pavement instead of stairs, so I guess the joke was on me.) Arriving at the top, the payoff felt a little disappointing considering how long it took to reach. Maybe I would have felt differently if I hadn't walked? A quick stroll on the limited grounds turned up no way to see a panoramic view of the city that wasn't partially blocked. The only unblocked view was via the 360 degree paid experience by going up to the cupola of the church. Unfortunately this closes 15 min prior to 6pm, and 5:45pm was the exact time after I'd just walked around the grounds. I would've willingly paid the €5 or €10 to go upstairs. Ah well, at least I got a good workout. Needless to say I didn't walk back, opting instead for a public bus # 58 that stopped right behind the building and took about 10 minutes to descend the hill. Last but not least.... the church itself was pretty impressive, it seemed quite well maintained and although not the largest of cathedrals still made you feel quite small sitting on a pew looking up at the domed ceilings. There was also a small patch of vegetable garden alongside the building and larger park area expanding south and eastward.

We were glad that we had the opportunity to visit the Basilica of Santo Stefano; a complex of…read morereligious buildings. It is locally known as Sette Chiese ("Seven Churches") and Santa Gerusalemme ("Holy Jerusalem"). However, today there are only four churches. One of the churches inside the complex is a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre! All the buildings are very ancient and were built at different times. Bishop Petronio, after a voyage to Jerusalem in the 5th century, decided to make a reproduction of the sacred places of that city in Bologna. As you walk through the first church, you might think that it is just one building, but as you step into the main arched courtyard, you can see the various different buildings. Each church has its own character, design and artwork and there is also a free museum that contains historical information about the complex.