Bologna City of Music
Updated on 30 October 2025 From Comune di Bologna
Bologna boasts a very long musical tradition, so much that it was declared a UNESCO "City of Music" in 2006, a prestigious award conferred for yesterday’s excellences and today’s promising talents. Here’s a useful itinerary for you to discover Bologna’s most surprising places where music is constantly alive.
Discover the itinerary among the places of music in Bologna
Stop 1
Stop 2
Stop 3
- Stop 1:
Basilica of San Petronio, Giovan Battista Martini Conservatory, Teatro Comunale
Basilica of San Petronio, Giovan Battista Martini Conservatory, Teatro Comunale
The itinerary starts from Bologna’s most important musical chapel, that of San Petronio, whose most prestigious symbol is an organ that is still in working order. Moving into the university area, you will then encounter the Giovan Battista Martini Conservatory , the first public music school in Italy, which also counted Donizetti and Rossini among its students, and, in Piazza Verdi, the Teatro Comunale .
- Stop 2:
International Museum and Library of Music, Accademia Filarmonica, Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Church of Santa Cristina
International Museum and Library of Music, Accademia Filarmonica, Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Church of Santa Cristina
Walking down Strada Maggiore, you can visit the International Museum and Library of Music and the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi , with its spectacular mechanical-action organ. On Via Guerrazzi, the Accademia Filarmonica has been, since the 18th century and thanks to the guidance of Padre Martini, one of the highest-ranking musical institutions in Europe, where Mozart also obtained the diploma of “Master Composer”; and, towards Porta Maggiore, you can discover the Church of Santa Cristina , an architectural gem thanks to its presbytery, which acts as a true sounding board capable of transforming the entire building into a musical instrument.
- Stop 3:
Basilica of San Domenico, Convent of San Francesco, San Colombano, Tagliavini Collection, Cantina on Via Cesare Battisti
Basilica of San Domenico, Convent of San Francesco, San Colombano, Tagliavini Collection, Cantina on Via Cesare Battisti
Heading back towards the city centre, you can admire the Basilica of San Domenico , renowned for its 16th-century wooden choir; the Convent of San Francesco , where Giovan Battista Martini once lived; and the Tagliavini Collection , which houses the collection of ancient musical instruments assembled by Maestro Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. Not to be missed is the Cantina on Via Cesare Battisti, where extraordinary amateur jazz musicians and numerous clubs or associations present high-quality traditional jazz and dixieland, so much so that they take part in the most important jazz festivals and perform alongside world-renowned jazz musicians.
The Culture and Creativity Section of the Municipality of Bologna is responsible for the promotion and development of the city's cultural system, coordinating and enhancing the various cultural and creative realities in the area.
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