Palazzo Hercolani and Grand Staircase

Why is it significant?

Conclude your journey through the monumental heart of Bologna at the magnificent Palazzo Hercolani at number 45 Strada Maggiore, today the prestigious home of the University of Bologna's Department of Political and Social Sciences.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Conclude your journey through the monumental heart of Bologna at the magnificent Palazzo Hercolani at number 45 Strada Maggiore, today the prestigious home of the University of Bologna's Department of Political and Social Sciences. Commissioned in 1785 by Prince Filippo Hercolani and designed by the celebrated architect Angelo Venturoli, this aristocratic residence represents the crowning glory of Bolognese neoclassical palace architecture. The imposing facade features rusticated ground-floor masonry, grand ionic pilasters, and an elegant balustraded roofline overlooking the historic avenue. Entering the vestibule reveals a sweeping perspective into the lush romantic garden at the rear, where classical statues and gravel paths provided an aristocratic refuge from civic governance and commercial duties. The palace perfectly reflects the wealth and cosmopolitan taste of Bologna's nobility on the eve of the Napoleonic era.

Ascend the breathtaking grand staircase, the Scalone d'Onore, universally considered Venturoli's masterwork: wide twin ramps of polished marble sweep upward beneath a soaring vaulted rotunda adorned with theatrical stuccoes and trompe-l'œil frescoes painted by masters Pedrini, Basoli, and Martinelli. The dramatic play of natural light cascading from high dome lanterns onto classical statues creates a thrilling theatrical entrance fit for royalty.

In the nineteenth century, the Hercolani family hosted glittering salon evenings in these gilded chambers, welcoming international luminaries such as French writer Stendhal, who praised Bologna as one of Europe's most civilized and intellectually delightful cities.

Admire the neoclassical garden gate visible from the courtyard: its decorative wrought ironwork features the noble Hercolani crest surrounded by laurel wreaths.

Here in the shadow of these grand aristocratic halls ends our voyage through Piazza Maggiore, the leaning towers, and the enduring medieval soul of Bologna, a city where timeless stone, vibrant scholarship, and culinary passion continue to inspire travelers from around the globe.