Landmark
Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre
Bologna · Emilia-Romagna
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Landmark
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Bologna · Emilia-Romagna
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
The Archiginnasio is the first permanent seat of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the western world, built by the papacy in 1563 to consolidate the university’s scattered schools in one building. Its porticoes and staircases are covered with the coats of arms and the names of thousands of students and professors, the most extensive heraldic decoration in any building in Italy. Inside is the Anatomical Theatre, the carved wooden amphitheatre built in 1637 for the teaching of anatomy, where dissections were performed before the students under the watchful eyes of two spellati — the skinless figures carved at the professor’s chair. The theatre was damaged by Allied bombing in 1944 and rebuilt from the surviving pieces.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The University of Bologna was founded around 1088, making it the oldest university in the western world, and it grew into the leading law school of medieval Europe. Until the 16th century its schools were scattered across the city; in 1563 Pope Pius IV commissioned the Archiginnasio to bring them together, and the building was decorated with the coats of arms of its students and professors as a record of its community. The Anatomical Theatre was built in 1637 by Antonio Levanti for the teaching of anatomy, one of the first such theatres in Europe; dissections were performed on the central table under the gaze of the carved spellati. The university moved out in 1803, and the Archiginnasio became a library; the theatre was rebuilt after the 1944 bombing.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The Anatomical Theatre — the carved wooden amphitheatre of 1637, with the central dissection table and the two spellati figures.
The heraldic decoration — the coats of arms and inscriptions of thousands of students and professors covering the walls and porticoes.
The Stabat Mater room — the hall where the poet Giosuè Carducci taught, decorated with the coats of arms of the German students.
The porticoes and the courtyard — the arcaded courtyard, the heart of the building.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The Archiginnasio is the building that holds the memory of the oldest university in the western world, and the Anatomical Theatre is the most striking survival of early modern medical teaching. For a visitor, the heraldic walls and the carved theatre are the two sights that most clearly show what Bologna was — a city of students and professors for nearly a thousand years, and the place where European medicine and law were taught.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre
Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
44.4936, 11.3431
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FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Trattoria di Via Serra — a beloved trattoria for handmade pasta and Bolognese classics, book ahead
Osteria Bottega — a wine bar and trattoria for the best tortellini in brodo in the city
Trattoria Anna — a no-frills trattoria in the market quarter for tagliatelle al ragù and boiled meats
Salumeria Simoni — a salumeria in the Quadrilatero for a mortadella sandwich and a glass of Lambrusco
Drogheria della Rosa — a romantic trattoria in a vintage grocery for refined Emilian cooking
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Grand Hotel Majestic gia Baglioni — a grand hotel in a 16th-century palace near the station, with a rooftop
Hotel Porta San Mamolo — a charming garden hotel just inside the old walls, a quiet base
Art Hotel Commercianti — a boutique hotel near the Piazza Maggiore, in a medieval building
Hotel Al Cappello Rosso — a historic hotel near the Piazza Maggiore, in business since 1375
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