Palazzo d'Accursio

The Palazzo d'Accursio, in Bologna

The Palazzo d'Accursio is the town hall of Bologna, a vast medieval building bordering Piazza Maggiore. The Bologna audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this palace of municipal power, topped with its clock tower and adorned with art collections.

The palace of municipal power

The Palazzo d'Accursio, also called the communal palace, is the seat of the municipal administration of Bologna since the Middle Ages. This imposing ensemble, born from the union of several buildings over the centuries, occupies a whole side of Piazza Maggiore. Its brick façade, pierced with a great door and topped with the clock tower, mixes the medieval and Renaissance styles. There you notice a statue of Pope Gregory XIII, a child of Bologna, famous for the reform of the calendar that bears his name. Inside, the palace shelters sumptuous ceremonial halls, monumental staircases and the communal art collections, rich in paintings and old works. A witness of the power and the history of the town, the Palazzo d'Accursio is one of the great monuments of Bologna.

What to see

You admire the imposing medieval and Renaissance town hall bordering Piazza Maggiore, its brick façade topped with the clock tower, the statue of Pope Gregory XIII, a child of Bologna, as well as its ceremonial halls, monumental staircases and communal art collections. The Palazzo d'Accursio is the palace of power of Bologna. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Palazzo d'Accursio lies on Piazza Maggiore, in the heart of Bologna, reachable on foot. You admire its exterior freely; the visit of the art collections and certain halls follows its own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check the arrangements before coming.

What does the Palazzo d'Accursio shelter in Bologna?

The town hall of Bologna, with its ceremonial halls, its monumental staircases and the communal art collections; its façade is topped with the clock tower and adorned with a statue of Pope Gregory XIII, a child of the town.

Where is the Palazzo d'Accursio?

On Piazza Maggiore, in the heart of Bologna, in Italy.