The main attraction of the piazza is the Basilica of San Petronio - right, the one tourists usually mistake for the cathedral of Bologna. The first two things you notice about the church are the size (“huge” would be an understatement) and the incomplete look. The two facts are actually in close relation to each other: according to the local legend, i bolognesi wanted to build the biggest church in the world, exceeding that of San Pietro in the Vatican. Guess what happened when the Pope found out? Obviously, he stopped financing the project - hence its incomplete look. But the locals love it as it is - there’s beauty in the imperfection! It’s just a legend (and I love it for catching the local sentiments so well), but still, the church is really impressive. You can visit it for free (I promised you can do a lot of things for free in Bologna), but you’ll have to pay 2 euros if you want to take pictures or videos. Is it worth it? You should decide for yourself. The church impresses you with its size, although, subjectively, it might not be the most jaw-dropping from the inside. But it’s still worth a visit - for peeking at the longest meridian on the basilica’s floor or attending an organ music concert. The coolest part about the church? In my opinion, it has the best panoramic views in the city. From the back of the basilica, you can find the elevator taking you to the top of the building for a panoramic belltower - this is A MUST when visiting Bologna. Seeing the famous Two Towers of Bologna from there is like going to Paris and climbing up any panoramic terrace that’s not the Eiffel Tower - to actually see the Eiffel Tower. You get the idea, right? The terrace is open only during the weekends, and the ticket costs 5 euros. Always check the opening hours before coming!

Each summer, the whole place is dominated by Il Cinema Sotto le Stelle, a world-famous open-air film festival, that shows both classical and more recent films in original languages. Each feature is usually preceded by a speech from famous actors and directors, and it’s totally free of charge to participate - just make sure to be there in advance to claim your place!

Why you should visit it?

The whole experience is hard to describe merely with words. Imagine a huge open-air piazza, a ginormous screen, a cinematographic masterpiece and you’re sitting there, under the literal stars. I’ve been to a fair share of film festivals in my life, including Venice Film Festival, and I can assure you of the following: while Il Cinema Sotto le Stelle is not as prestigious as some other film festivals, you aren’t going there for the latest award-winning pictures or to see the cinema elite: you’re going there for a completely unique experience of movie-watching that you won’t get anywhere else.

When?

The festival runs from the end of June to mid-August each year, with most films starting at around 21.30 (come early to get a better place, especially if there’s a famous director making a speech before the film that night!)