Archiginnasio Palace, Bologna (must see)
Just past the Archaeological Museum lies the historic Archiginnasio Palace, constructed in the 1560s as the first permanent home of Europe's oldest university. Prior to its erection, the faculties of law and medicine were like lost socks, scattered across various sites within the city. The palace served as the university's headquarters until 1803, when it relocated to its present site on Via Zamboni. Presently, it hosts the esteemed collection of 800,000 works of the City Library ("Biblioteca Comunale"), the lavishly decorated Sala dello Stabat Mater, which once hosted Rossini's inaugural Italian performance of "Stabat Mater" in 1842 under the baton of Donizetti, and the captivating Anatomy Theatre ("Teatro Anatomico").
The elegant courtyard, with its fancy double loggia, along with the staircase and halls, are decked out with tributes to the big brains of the ancient university, alongside some 6,000 student coats of arms. This courtyard often served as the backdrop for university ceremonies, including the intriguing Preparation of the Theriac, a medicinal concoction for animal bites and later a panacea, developed by the Greeks in the 1st century AD, comprising fermented herbs, poisons, animal tissue, honey, and various other ingredients.
The Anatomy Theatre, designed in the shape of an amphitheatre and adorned with wooden sculptures depicting renowned university anatomists and celebrated physicians, hosted some of Europe's earliest human dissections. Despite the presence of depictions of "gli spellati", or skinned cadavers, supporting a canopy, the tiered seats and professors' podium lack any macabre elements. Although the Church initially prohibited regular dissection sessions, when they did occur, they became popular public events. Photographs at the entrance showcase the devastation suffered by this wing of the building during the 1944 bombardment, yet immediate post-war reconstruction efforts utilized salvaged original wooden sculptures retrieved from the rubble.
The elegant courtyard, with its fancy double loggia, along with the staircase and halls, are decked out with tributes to the big brains of the ancient university, alongside some 6,000 student coats of arms. This courtyard often served as the backdrop for university ceremonies, including the intriguing Preparation of the Theriac, a medicinal concoction for animal bites and later a panacea, developed by the Greeks in the 1st century AD, comprising fermented herbs, poisons, animal tissue, honey, and various other ingredients.
The Anatomy Theatre, designed in the shape of an amphitheatre and adorned with wooden sculptures depicting renowned university anatomists and celebrated physicians, hosted some of Europe's earliest human dissections. Despite the presence of depictions of "gli spellati", or skinned cadavers, supporting a canopy, the tiered seats and professors' podium lack any macabre elements. Although the Church initially prohibited regular dissection sessions, when they did occur, they became popular public events. Photographs at the entrance showcase the devastation suffered by this wing of the building during the 1944 bombardment, yet immediate post-war reconstruction efforts utilized salvaged original wooden sculptures retrieved from the rubble.
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Archiginnasio Palace on Map
Sight Name: Archiginnasio Palace
Sight Location: Bologna, Italy (See walking tours in Bologna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Bologna, Italy (See walking tours in Bologna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Bologna, Italy
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Creating your own self-guided walk in Bologna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
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Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Archeological discoveries indicate the area has been settled since the third millennium BC. First, the Etruscans settled the area, then the Celts, and then the Romans. During the Middle Ages, Bologna was a free municipality... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles