ANATOMICAL THEATER OF ARCHIGINNASIO - LIBRARY

Construction of the Archiginnasio began in 1562 at the express wish of the Papal Legate Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, with the aim of providing a single venue for university teaching.

Externally, the palace develops with a long portico of 30 arches, on two floors, around a central courtyard with two tiers of loggias.

On the upper floor, 10 school classrooms (now used as a book storage area for the Library) and 2 large lecture halls were built on either side of the building, one for the Artists (now the Reading Room of the Library) and one for the Jurists (also known later as the Stabat Mater Hall, which is accessible for visits).

The building housed the university until 1803, then served as a primary school before becoming a library in 1838.

On the ground floor, some of the old lecture halls are occupied by the Medical and Surgical Society and the Academy of Agriculture. In the courtyard, which is very beautiful, visitors can also see the Chapel of St. Mary of the Bulgarians and the grand staircase with the "memories," works of art dedicated to important scientists of the University of Bologna.

Among the various rooms perhaps the most interesting is the one called Theater for its characteristic amphitheater shape, built in 1637 for anatomical lectures by the Bolognese architect Antonio Paolucci known as the Levanti, a student of the Carracci.
All in pine wood and decorated with two orders of statues depicting twelve famous doctors (including Hippocrates, Galen, Marcello Malpighi) and the most famous anatomists of the Bolognese Studio.

Getting to the museum

Piazza Galvani, 1 - old town

Bus 11, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 27, 29, 30, 37
stop at Piazza Maggiore or via Rizzoli
Shuttle A: Piazza Galvani stop

Train: 15 minutes walk from Central Station

Parking: Underground parking in Piazza VIII Agosto

Contacts - Hours

Libraries | Archiginnasio Library
Piazza Galvani, 1 40124 Bologna

Tel. 051 276811

Access to the Anatomical Theatre and the Stabat Mater Hall (when not occupied for cultural events).

HOURS
Monday-Friday 10-6

Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday and holidays 10am-2pm