Bologna, Lady of Music

Day 1 – Arrival in Bologna

ndependent arrival at the hotel in Bologna.
Accommodation in the reserved rooms at the 4* Hotel Internazionale or of the same category. https://www.hotelinternazionalebologna.com/
The rooms will be available in the early afternoon.

A recent renovation has further improved the quality of the finishes that distinguish its decorations, consolidating a private and elegant atmosphere in which Guests feel at home.   

Welcome dinner at a selected restaurant.

Return to the hotel on foot.

Day 2 – Bologna Musicale

Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Guided walk in the historic center: Palazzo Comunale (with the Sala Borsa), the Fountain of Neptune, the large Basilica of S. Petronio and the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, formerly home to the oldest University in Europe, which houses the Anatomical Theater.

Lunch with traditional Bolognese dishes.

Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio   

The Archiginnasio Palace was built between 1562 and 1563 at the behest of the Papal Legate of Bologna, Cardinal Carlo Borromeo and Vice-Legate Pier Donato Cesi, based on a design by the Bolognese architect Antonio Morandi, known as Terribilia. The purpose of the operation, which matured in the cultural climate of the Council of Trent, was to provide a single location for university teaching that had until then been dispersed in various locations.

Afternoon: visit to Bologna Musicale.
Traveling along Strada Maggiore, we will pass in front of Gioacchino Rossini's house (exterior) and then visit the International Museum and Library of Music.

International Museum and Library of Music

The original nucleus of the Museum's musical collections is due to Father Giovanni Battista Martini, one of the most illustrious and complex personalities of eighteenth-century European music: a great scholar, historian, theoretician and composer, he was considered one of the best masters in Europe, hence the nickname of Father of all Masters, but he was above all a tireless music collector. In fact, the Municipality retained ownership of the entire heritage, establishing the Civic Bibliographical Music Museum in 1959, which merged into the International Museum and Library of Music, the result of a cultural project created by the Municipality of Bologna with the contribution of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, which was inaugurated on May 11, 2004 in the fascinating architectural context of Palazzo Sanguinetti.

Visit to the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, a place of ancient musical tradition and PRIVATE CONCERT by the Cappella Musicale di San Petronio. 

Return to the hotel. Free dinner.

Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Servi   

The Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi stands along Strada Maggiore and is a splendid example of Gothic architecture. Built thanks to the will of Father Andrea Manfredi from Faenza and master Antonio di Vincenzo. Preceded by an airy quadriportico, whose construction began in 1393 and ended between the 16th and 19th centuries. The interior preserves the splendid Madonna in trono by Cimabue and other famous works of art by artists such as Crespi, Albani, Calvaert. The complex also has a bell tower, about 52 meters high, characterized by the lightness of the columns and the architectural novelty that is also found in the quadriportico in front of the church.

Day 3 – Bologna

Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Visit to the Teatro Comunale and the places of the Bentivoglio, with the Oratory of Santa Cecilia and the Church of San Giacomo.

Teatro Comunale

The fire that destroyed the then wooden Teatro Malvezzi in Bologna in 1745 marked the beginning of the history of the Bolognese opera house. After the fire, the city commissioned Antonio Galli Bibiena, a member of the famous family of theatre architects and set designers, to build a new stone opera house in the Baroque style of the period. On 14 May 1763, the Teatro Comunale opened its doors to the public with the first performance of Gluck's Il trionfo di Clelia. The theatre is closed for extraordinary maintenance. The shows are not interrupted and are rescheduled at the Bologna congress center - exhibition hall.

Free lunch.

In the afternoon, visit the monastic complex of S. Stefano also known as "Le Sette Chiese" and the Basilica of San Domenico.

Free dinner.

Complesso monastico di S. Stefano   

The Monastic Complex of Santo Stefano is the most unique complex in Bologna, a true city sanctuary and cradle of the faith of the fathers. It is best known as the “seven churches” because it is composed of several buildings built in different eras. Overlooking the square are the Church of the Crucifix, of Lombard origin, of Calvary and of SS. Vitale and Agricola and the Church of the Trinity, renovated between the 12th and 13th centuries. Inside you can also admire the Courtyard of Pilate, with a marble basin donated by Liutprando and Ilprando, king of the Lombards and the Benedictine cloister with double loggia (10th-13th century), one of the most superb creations of the Emilian Romanesque.. 

Day 4 – Partenza

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out of the rooms.

Guided tour of the Accademia Filarmonica.
PRIVATE CONCERT in one of the Academy's rooms.
An aperitif will be served at the end of the visit. 

Greetings and individual departures.

Accademia Filarmonica

The Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna is among the oldest musical institutions in Europe. Founded in 1666 by the nobleman Vincenzo Maria Carrati, with headquarters in the family palace, in the current Via Guerrazzi 13, the Academy continues to represent an important point of reference for the cultural life of the city and beyond: with its traditional classical music reviews in the Mozart Hall, the advanced training courses, the research and musical dissemination projects, the enhancement of the historical archive and musical collections, and again, with its attention to contemporary music, through new works commissioned every year from established and emerging composers, and with the Mozart Orchestra, an international excellence directed for ten years by Maestro Claudio Abbado and today under the guidance of Maestro Daniele Gatti, the Academy continues, after 355 years, to make music alive and a heritage for all.

The order of visits may vary for operational needs without modifying the content.