Archiginnasio Palace and Anatomical Theater — Attraction in Bologna

I wanted to visit the teatro on 15th August, a public holiday. Normally you would check the homepage if on that day the modalities differ. But the homepage is only in Italian, so using Google Translate, I found out that the opening hours are limited, but I missed the information that you can only buy tickets online on that day. I only found out at the entrance, where this information is also posted in English. So I tried to book a ticket on my phone. The ticket booking page, which surprisingly is in English, seems to be really buggy and gave me several error during the process, but showed me that there were around 30 tickets left to enter the teatrico one hour later. I tried to book one four times. The site will redirect you to a payment service page that is only in Italian again and that looks really shady. My credit card got declined again and again. So I asked the cashiers if they could help me. They said that, contrary to the shady homepage, there is only one ticket left. So I tried again, it showed me several available tickets again and it was rejected ... again when I put in my credit card information. When I asked them why I can't buy this one ticket via internet they said it's sold out now, that I should return tomorrow and that I must understand that it is a really popular place visited by a lot of people. This undoubtedly it true, but even more raises the question why a place that popular and professional can't provide information in English and a reliable way to see if tickets are available and buy them online – especially also if you can't speak Italian. This place is the cradle of European academia, so it is quite a shame they fail to provide service in any other language than the mother tongue. The photos look amazing and as a historian, I would have loved to visit, but in this case only thing I got here was wasting 40...

The place is beautiful, and the courtyard is unique. However, the paid part includes only two rooms. They are beautiful, but there are only two. On Saturdays, visits are by ticket only, purchased online in advance. We bought our tickets two days prior. Our visit time was 10:10. We arrived at 10:00, and they admitted us at 10:16. When admitted to the first room, we were told we had a maximum of 10 minutes. Then, proceeding to the next room, the ticket checker stopped us and other tourists, stating there would be a conference, and we could not enter. We explained that our tickets were valid for that time, not later, and that we could not reschedule. He suggested we return at 1:00 PM, which was impossible for us. After some discussion, he relented, allowing us "2 minutes." Firstly, we paid, and then we were unable to fully access what we paid for. Even when we entered, the presentation screen obscured the beautiful wall. Why were tickets sold when a conference was scheduled? Very unprofessional, and overall, we had a very bad experience. Regarding the museum itself, it is fine, but there is not much to see. There is almost no text; everything is in Italian. There was only one audio guide, lasting 2 minutes. I do not recommend this museum. Visit the courtyard and save your time for...

The Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio is one of Bologna’s most fascinating historical sites, and a true celebration of learning. Once the main building of the University of Bologna (the oldest university in the Western world), it’s steeped in scholarly legacy. Walking its arcaded halls, lined with hundreds of colorful family crests, feels like stepping into a living archive of academic history.

The real highlight for me was the Teatro Anatomico; an ornate wooden room built in the 17th century for anatomy lectures. It’s both beautiful and eerie, with carved figures of famous physicians watching over the marble dissection table in the center. The detail is stunning, from the coffered ceiling to the “spellati,” flayed human figures carved with unnerving precision.

It’s a place where art, science, and curiosity collide. Whether you're into medicine, architecture, or just the unexpected corners of history, this spot offers an unforgettable glimpse into how knowledge was once pursued and performed. Quiet, atmospheric, and...