Collezioni Comunali d'Arte (Palazzo d'Accursio)

The Collezioni Comunali d'Arte are in Palazzo d'Accursio, the town hall of Bologna, at Piazza Maggiore 6 in Emilia-Romagna. The palace was formed from 1287 when the commune acquired the houses of the jurist Accursio and gradually enlarged them as the seat of its government. In the 16th century it became the residence of the papal legate, who governed Bologna on behalf of the Pope, and a monumental front with the bronze statue of Pope Gregory XIII, a Bolognese, was placed over the entrance. The Torre dell'Orologio, the clock tower beside it, dates from the 15th century and carries a clock designed by Fra Bartolomeo. The museum, on the upper floors, brings together paintings, sculpture and furnishings that came to the city through bequests and civic acquisitions, and it was opened in this form in the 20th century. It presents art from the 13th to the 20th century, with work by Bolognese and Emilian painters such as Vitale da Bologna, Francesco Francia, Guido Reni, Ludovico Carracci and Giuseppe Maria Crespi, along with Italian and foreign works. Among the most striking spaces are the Sala Farnese, a ceremonial hall of the legates decorated in the 16th century, and the apartments of the papal legate, with frescoed ceilings and period furniture. The museum also houses the Rusconi collection of ceramics and a section of 20th-century art, including works associated with Giorgio Morandi. Access to the upper floors is by the broad Bramante staircase, a ramp designed to be climbed on horseback. The collections are arranged chronologically, with civic history interwoven with art history, and the palace has undergone restoration in stages, with ongoing attention to ceilings and decoration. Admission is about EUR 6 and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, but times should be confirmed at museibologna.it. A visit lasts around one to one and a half hours, and the palace also includes the Sacrario dei Caduti Partigiani on its outer wall.