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7 Most Instagrammable Spots in Bologna, Italy's Porticoed City
Bologna's UNESCO-listed porticoes run for kilometres through the old city, and its leaning medieval towers and hidden canal window make it one of Italy's most photogenic, least-crowded cities.
Sep 26, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Bologna sits between Florence and Venice on most Italy itineraries and gets skipped by both, which is precisely why its porticoes and medieval towers still feel uncrowded. Its arcaded streets were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2021, over 60 kilometres of covered walkways in total. Here are seven spots worth building a visit around, each with a direct map link.
1. The Two Towers
The Asinelli and Garisenda towers, both leaning, both built in the 12th century, are Bologna's defining skyline shot, best photographed from the small piazza where the two streets meet directly beneath them.
2. Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica di San Petronio
Bologna's main square is anchored by the unfinished brick facade of the Basilica di San Petronio, one of the largest churches in Italy, and stays lively well into the evening once the surrounding cafes fill up.
3. The Finestrella di Via Piella
A small, unmarked window in a wall on Via Piella opens onto a hidden stretch of Bologna's old canal system, one of the few visible reminders that a network of waterways once ran beneath the city. It draws a queue of phones most afternoons despite giving no sign it's there until you're right beside it.
4. The Portico di San Luca
At roughly 3.5 kilometres, this is the longest portico in the world, running uphill from the city gate to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, its repeating arches receding into the distance the whole way.
5. The Fountain of Neptune
Giambologna's 16th-century bronze fountain sits just off Piazza Maggiore, small enough to photograph in full but detailed enough that most visitors circle it twice.
6. The Basilica di Santo Stefano's Seven Churches
A cluster of interconnected medieval churches built over several centuries, known locally as Sette Chiese, with a quiet cloistered courtyard at its centre that feels far removed from the piazzas nearby.
7. The Archiginnasio's painted courtyard
Once the main building of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world still operating, its inner courtyard and staircases are covered in centuries of painted coats of arms from past students and professors.
Traveller tips
- The porticoes make Bologna one of the easier Italian cities to walk in light rain; most of the old centre stays covered.
- San Luca's portico is a genuine uphill walk; a shuttle bus runs partway for anyone who wants the sanctuary without the full climb.
- Bologna's food scene rivals its architecture; a stop at the covered Quadrilatero market streets near Piazza Maggiore is worth building into any of these routes.
- The city is compact enough that all seven spots are realistically walkable in a single day.
Where this is
Bologna, Italy