Museo Civico Medievale

The Museo Civico Medievale is in Palazzo Ghisilardi Fava at Via Manzoni 4, in the centre of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, near the Via dell'Indipendenza. The palace was built in the late 15th century for the Ghisilardi family and is an example of Bolognese Renaissance architecture, with a brick facade and a portico, and an inner courtyard. Since 1985 it has housed the city's medieval and Renaissance collections, which were first formed in the 19th century and include the holdings of the Aldrovandi and Marsili scientific cabinets and later donations. The display covers the period from roughly the 12th to the 16th century and highlights the role of Bologna as a university city. The most distinctive group is the funerary monuments of the doctors of the early university, carved marble tombs showing professors lecturing to students in relief, a rare record of medieval teaching. Another key piece is the bronze statue of Pope Boniface VIII, made by Manno di Bandino in 1301 and once on the city palace. The museum also holds Gothic and Romanesque sculpture, ivories, goldsmiths' work, medieval and Renaissance weapons and armour, ceramics, tapestries, Islamic and Byzantine objects, and a significant collection of manuscripts and miniatures. The rooms are arranged thematically and chronologically, with the palace's frescoed ceilings, courtyard and loggia as part of the experience. The palace has been restored several times, and the displays were reorganised in recent decades, with attention to lighting and labelling. Admission is about EUR 6, and the museum is generally open Tuesday to Sunday, but times should be confirmed at museibologna.it. It is smaller than the archaeological museum and can be seen in about an hour, which makes it a good complement to a walk through the university quarter.