Ever since 1088, Bologna has beenn synonymous with its university. A centuries’ old history that reflects
on all aspects of the city - on its stone, palaces and museums of rare splendour . Archiginnasio
The construction of the Palace was commissioned by Cardinal Borromeo between 1562 and 1563 and designed by architect Antonio Morandi called Terribilia; it was to house the lecture halls for the University (Law and Arts). Until 1803 it was the seat of the University and since 1838 it is the location of the Civic Library.
It includes the collections: Natural History, Anatomy and obstetrics, Physics and chemistry, Military architecture, The Library, Geography and Nautical Science, East Asian Art.
The palace, renovated in the mid 16th century probably by Pellegrino Tibaldi, became the new seat of the National University, after the Napoleonic reform of 1803.
Just in front of Santa Maria della Vita church, some stairs lead to the majestic portico belonging to the ancient Hospital of Death, which was very popular among medicine students who used the corpses of executed men to make anatomy studies in the nearby university, Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio.
The library open its doors to the public in 1756. With the first library decree of the United Italy (1869) the library came to be one of the most important in the country and in 1885 it was officially recognized as of University Status.
The Museum contains a collection of 19th century anatomical wax models by the Florentine modeller Clemente Susini and by Bolognese wax modellers, the most important of whom are Giuseppe Astorri and Cesare Bettini.
This complex was founded in 1364, by Cardinal Egidio Albornoz, to host Spanish students enrolled in the famous university town.
This church is the first example of French Gothic style in Italy. It was built between 1236 and 1254 on the initiative of the Franciscan community that stayed in the city already since 1218 with Bernardo di Quintavalle.
Inside the church there is the Ark preserving the body of Saint Procolo (one of the first Christian martyrs in Bologna)
There is controversy as to the exact date of the construction of the first library of the convent of Saint Michele in Bosco: to some it was raised towards the end of the 15th century, while others suggest the year 1517 under the Priorate of Barnaba Cevenini. A library representing one of the most complete and rarest collection of books in the entire field of orthopedics.
