The palace

The Archiginnasio Palace was built between 1562 and 1563 at the behest of the Papal Legate of Bologna, Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, and the Vicelegate Pier Donato Cesi, designed by the Bolognese architect Antonio Morandi, known as Terribilia. The aim of the operation, which developed in the cultural climate of the Council of Trent, was to provide a unified home for university teaching, which until then had been dispersed across various locations.

The building has a long porch with 30 arches on the outside and is divided into two floors around a central courtyard with a double order of loggias.
Two large staircases lead to the upper floor, which has 10 classrooms (today they cannot be visited as they constitute the Library's main book stores) and two large classrooms located at the ends of the building, one for Artists (now the Library's Reading Room) and one for Lawyers (later also called the Stabat Mater Room).
The anatomical theater  The room, called Teatro for its characteristic amphitheatrical shape, was designed in 1637 for anatomical lessons by the Bolognese architect Antonio Paolucci known as Levanti, a student of the Carracci.

The walls of the rooms, the vaults of the staircases and the loggias are densely decorated with inscriptions and monuments commemorating the masters of the Studio and by thousands of coats of arms and names of students.

The building ceased its university function in 1803; since 1838, after having been a primary school for a few years, it has been home to the Library. On the ground floor, some of the ancient classrooms are occupied by the Medical Surgical Society and the Academy of Agriculture.

The Library section is not accessible for sightseeing.

Online reservations are required to visit the Anatomical Theatre and the Stabat Mater Hall.  Info here  

Visits to the Anatomical Theater and the Stabat Mater room are managed by Bologna Welcome Tel. 051.6583166

for information archiginnasio@bolognawelcome.it
for reservations booking@bolognawelcome.it

Details about the access method that is reserved for school groups 

On the occasion of the exhibition on Bartolomeo Cesi (Medieval Civic Museum of Bologna, in the chapel of Santa Maria dei Bulgari of the Archiginnasio Palace it is possible to see the virtual reconstruction of the lost decorative cycle of the Stories of the Virgin.  By reservation

Accessibility