Archiginnasio & Anatomical Theatre, Bologna

The Archiginnasio on Piazza Galvani in Bologna served as the central building of the University of Bologna — the world's oldest university, founded in 1088 — from its construction in 1563 until the university moved to its current Palazzo Poggi premises in the 18th century. Designed by Antonio Morandi, the building was the first purpose-built university structure in Europe, consolidating dispersed lecture halls into a single two-storey arcaded block. Every available surface of the walls and courtyard porticoes is covered in coats-of-arms and honorary tablets of former students and rectors, representing a continuous layer of academic history from the 16th century to the present; the collection now numbers over 6,000 armorial shields, the most extensive heraldic assembly in any single Italian building. On the upper floor, the Biblioteca Comunale dell'Archiginnasio holds approximately 750,000 volumes including rare medieval manuscripts and early printed books, open to the public for reading and research. The undisputed highlight of any visit is the Teatro Anatomico (Anatomical Theatre), built in 1637 and reconstructed after World War II bomb damage in 1944. The theatre is a horseshoe of tiered wooden seating in Bologna-red walnut, surmounted by carved figures representing famous physicians and anatomists, with a central marble dissection table and a canopy supported by statues of flayed men (spellati) holding the baldachin above. Human dissections were performed here before student audiences until the 18th century. Today the theatre is in active use for academic ceremonies and is occasionally closed for events; checking the library website before visiting is advised. The Archiginnasio is adjacent to Piazza Maggiore and is easily combined with a visit to the piazza and Neptune Fountain.