Palazzo Re Enzo — Attraction in Bologna

In the beautiful Piazza del Nettuno there is an interesting and beautiful palace, Palazzo Re Enzo. It takes its name from Enzo of Sardinia, Frederick II's son, who was prisoner here, from 1249 until his death in 1272. The palace was built between 1244-1246. as an extension of the nearby Palazzo del Podestà, which had proven insufficient for the exigencies of the Commune of Bologna. It was therefore initially known as the Palatium Novum ("New Palace"). The historical story is extremely interesting but at the same time very sad. Enzo was an illegitimate son of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II, who appointed him 'King of Sardinia' in 1238. He played a major role in the wars between Guelphs and Ghibellines in the creation of Imperial kingdoms of Italy. Enzo was captured 1249 by the Guelphs at the Battle of Fossalta, and after a short stay in Anzola he was moved here, where he remained until his death. Enzo was allegedly left free within the palace by day, but by night he was kept into a cage hanging from the ceiling. He was also allowed to meet women, it is mentioned that he had three daughters, but a legend talks about a fourth son he had with a peasant woman, Lucia di Viadagola. Subsequent history is extremely important and interesting. The son was called Bentivoglio, from the words "Amore mio, ben ti voglio" that he said to his beloved (meaning "My love, I'm fond of you"), and he would be the ancestor of the Bentivoglio family, later rulers of Bologna. The interior of the Palace is beautiful. At the centre of the colonnaded courtyard, there is an ancient sandstone well, while on the right-hand side you will find the ancient Chapel of St. Mary of Prisoners, which was recently restored and decorated by British artist David Tremlett. On the first floor from the loggia, the Salone del Podestà is accessed through a covered passageway and a majestic solid wood door. The spacious Salone del Podestà, which was once a courtroom, was used as a Public Theatre between 1581 and 1767 (the second version of the Euridice was performed here in 1616) and later became a court for ball games. Beautiful Sala re Enzo is located on the second floor of the building and covers...

This is one of the historic palaces at Piazza Maggiore. It was originally constructed between 1244-46 and is now named after King Enzo of Sardinia who was held prisoner here after the Battle of Fossalta until his death (1249-72).

The palace was last restored in 1905, leaving us with the Gothic style building that we can see today. There is an interesting courtyard (closed to public when we passed by) that you can peer into, a fairly typical Bologna style bell tower and brick facaded exterior. The building is also topped with decorative battlements.

You will find bars, a bookshop and a few other businesses fitted into the ground floor of Palazzo Re Enzo. Seems events are held within the palace from time to...

Co to jest Palazzo Re Enzo? • To średniowieczny pałac, zbudowany w latach 1244–1246 jako rozszerzenie ratusza (Palazzo del Podestà). • Swoją nazwę zawdzięcza Enzowi Szwabskiemu (Re Enzo) – synowi cesarza Fryderyka II – który był więziony w tym budynku przez 23 lata aż do swojej śmierci.

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👑 Kim był Re Enzo? • Enzo był królem Sardynii i dowódcą wojsk cesarskich we Włoszech. • W 1249 roku został pojmany przez wojska Ligi Lombardzkiej w bitwie pod Fossaltą. • Zamiast go zabić, władze Bolonii postanowiły… więzić go przez całe życie w specjalnie dobudowanym pałacu. • Przez ponad 20 lat żył w pałacowym zamknięciu, ale w godnych warunkach – według legend miał nawet potomstwo z miejscowymi mieszczkami.

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🏛️ Styl architektoniczny • Pałac ma styl gotycki, typowy dla XIII-wiecznej północnej Italii: • Czerwona cegła, prosta, surowa forma, • Zębate attyki, wysokie okna z łukami, • Monumentalne wnętrza z belkowymi stropami i dużą salą główną (tzw. Sala Re Enzo). • Fasada skierowana jest na Piazza del Nettuno.

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📍 Co dziś znajduje się w Palazzo Re Enzo? • Jest to miejsce wydarzeń kulturalnych, koncertów, targów, wystaw i uroczystości. • Pałac można zwiedzać tylko przy okazji wydarzeń lub specjalnych otwarć (np. Dni Dziedzictwa, targi designu). • Można również wynająć sale na prywatne wydarzenia.

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📸 Ciekawostki i legendy • Podobno Enzo próbował kilka razy uciec, m.in. ukryty w beczce z winem – wszystkie próby zakończyły się niepowodzeniem. • Sala del Silenzio (Sala Ciszy) była jego celą – dziś to jedno z najbardziej nastrojowych miejsc w pałacu. • Przez wieki miejsce to było symbolem wolności Bolonii od...