Bentivoglio Palace

Palazzo Bentivoglio, located in Via delle Belle Arti in Bologna, is an exceptional example of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, which tells the story of one of the most influential families in the city. The palace was built starting from 1551 at the behest of Costanzo Bentivoglio, a descendant of a collateral branch of the Bentivoglio family, who sought to rebuild the family’s prestige after the destruction of the first Palazzo Bentivoglio in 1507. The Bentivoglio family, originally from the castle of the same name near Bologna, became one of the most powerful in the city during the fifteenth century. The first palace, located in Via San Donato (now Via Zamboni), was built on the initiative of Sante Bentivoglio and completed by Giovanni II Bentivoglio. This imposing building, with a facade of 30 meters and sides over 140 meters long, was a sumptuous residence with 244 rooms, richly decorated and used for receptions and lavish parties. However, in 1507, the palace was destroyed by the rebellious population, with the support of Pope Julius II, who saw the Bentivoglio as tyrants. The new Palazzo Bentivoglio, built about 50 years later, was designed by the architect Bartolomeo Triachini and completed by Giovanni Battista Falcetti in the seventeenth century. The building features a large inner courtyard surrounded by a double loggia, based on the designs of Domenico Tibaldi. The interiors of the palace are adorned with ceilings and friezes from the Tibaldi school, and a large chiaroscuro frescoed gallery by Antonio Bonetti, with sculptures by Ubaldo Gandolfi, opened to the public in 1769 when Senator Fulvio Bentivoglio became Gonfaloniere of Bologna. Over the centuries, Palazzo Bentivoglio has undergone several restoration interventions, the latest of which involved the underground spaces, restoring them to their ancient splendor and adapting them to host cultural events and art exhibitions. Among the recent exhibitions, particularly noteworthy is the one dedicated to Luigi Ghirri and Giorgio Morandi, two giants of Italian photographic and pictorial art of the twentieth century. The history of the palace is enriched with interesting anecdotes and historical details. For example, the destruction of the first palace was so complete that the area where it stood was renamed “Via del Guasto” (Street of Ruin). The modern Giardino del Guasto, created in 1975, is located in the area that once housed the palace gardens and serves as a memorial to the greatness and fall of the Bentivoglio family.