Piazza Maggiore

Piazza Maggiore is the civic nucleus of Bologna, enclosed on all sides by the city's most consequential medieval and Renaissance buildings. The northern edge is anchored by the Palazzo del Podestà, built in the 13th century as the seat of the city magistrate, its Torre dell'Arengo once ringing to summon citizens to assembly. Adjacent stands the Palazzo Re Enzo, named for the Hohenstaufen king Enzio, who was imprisoned here from 1249 until his death in 1272 following his capture at the Battle of Fossalta. Today the car-free square functions as a living stage for Bolognese daily life — students gather under the arcaded porticoes in the evenings, and open-air cinema screenings fill the piazza during summer months.