Basilica di San Petronio
Basilica di San Petronio
4.5
Historic SitesChurches & Cathedrals
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
About
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Santo Stefano
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • HeatherMegaMauriFan
    276 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Intimidating Architecture and Impressive
    This was our first visit - it is free to enter and there were police/security outside. The external brickwork and the internal opulence is humbling. We spent over an hour inside just trying to take it all in. It's just as impressive from outside and stands out in the Piazza Maggiore.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 6, 2023
  • JJJC_Family
    810 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Reminds me a little of Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice
    While two churches will never be identical, if you went on the net and looked at images of both there is a similarity between them in style. I saw that the minute I stepped in the church. Even the floors looked alike. I find that style very attractive, so much so that I visited dei Frari all four times I visited Venice, along with San Rocco catty corner from it. As we did not see everything in Bologna, I am fairly certain we will return and if so, I am fairly certain that we will return to San Petronio, as we returned for a second visit on this trip. I would bet the mortgage that you, too, will visit San Petronio when you go to Bologna. Everyone does.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 2, 2023
  • macedonboy
    Glasgow, United Kingdom179,691 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Saint Petronio Basilica
    This Gothic church has been around since the 14th century, although it still took a couple of centuries for the current building to be fully completed. The exterior has a rectangular plan. The central nave is much taller than the two side naves. The latter also provided support for early Gothic flying buttresses that run the length of the naves. The exterior is mostly devoid of the type of decorations for such a prominent building. Only the archivolts and architraves of the three entrances seem to have sculptures and decorations. The two side doors are decorated with scenes from the New Testament showing the Resurrection on the left entrance and theDeposition on the right. The central and largest entrance depicts scenes from the Old Testament, including Adam, Noah and the Binding of Isaac The centrepiece of the basilica is the high altar with a ciborium covering a 15th-century wooden crucifix. At the back of the altar is a fresco of the Madonna with St. Petronio. Another notable feature is a sculpture of Pietà, which was conveniently placed outside of a chapel.
    Visited May 2023
    Written July 20, 2023
  • betteskid
    Boston, Massachusetts1,356 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazingly beautiful church
    We really enjoyed seeing this church and it is worth visiting. The decoration inside is spectacular and there is an amazing organ. The church is in the Piazza Maggiore in the middle of everything and very easy to find. Of course there are many amazing churches in Italy, but this is definitely one of them and you should visit it when you are in Bologna.
    Visited May 2023
    Written August 23, 2023
  • andycoldham
    Crawley, United Kingdom908 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see site.
    This basilica is located in the heart of the city, in piazza Maggiore. Its a huge building which commenced in the 14th century and took nearly 200 years to complete. It is steeped in history free to enter, and a must see site of Bologna. The interior of the church is stunning and its well worth paying the extra few euros to go into the inner chapel.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 7, 2023
  • GoingGuide
    Nottingham, United Kingdom1,213 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating place of worship
    Fascinating place of worship to visit whether you are religious or not. The unfinished church (due to the lack of funding and death of the architect) is set in the Piazza de Maggiore in the centre of Bologna. It is clear to see from the contrasting upper and lower parts of the exterior how the cathedral is incomplete. The interior in itself also looks unfinished yet full of amazing artwork in the chapels that surround the main section of the cathedral. Can get busy, so it's best to get there early. Well worth a visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 24, 2023
  • Angelo S
    Hilliard, Ohio3,630 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Central Basilica of Bologna
    Awe inspiring basilica in the middle of Bologna right off of Piazza Maggiore. While there are three or four basilica (basicilice?) in Bologna, San Petronio is a must visit due to its' size and location. This is one of the few places I have seen that will actually enforce the wearing of appropriate attire. If you are not, you have the option to purchase a disposable covering. Large open space on the inside with a number of beautiful frescoes (including one with Mohammed!) and intricate chapels along the outside. There is a central calendar line and a significant amount of detail to explore throughout.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 11, 2023
  • Dubai2222
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates268 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful site…
    A beautiful religious place worth a visit. A great place to relax. The longest meridian line is inside. The biggest sundial still used to study the sun. Interesting to see a meridian with the astrology signs on it in a basilica.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written November 24, 2023
  • Peter T
    Tamworth, United Kingdom398 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful cathedra, must visit.....
    A beautiful church, free on the day to visit. Some beautiful alcoved statues to religious icons. A serene and peaceful place that you must see. Thre are optional things and just need to make sure you time your visit right. The ceilings in the alcoves are beautifully decorated.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 10, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,304 reviews
Excellent
2,275
Very good
1,505
Average
392
Poor
73
Terrible
59

Stephen O'C
Vienna, Austria13 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Beautiful, inside and out.

Free to have a look inside - we went after mass on the afternoon of Palm Sunday (before Easter Sunday).

A rich mix of architecture and decoration from different periods of the basilica's history. Some beautiful chapels along the sides. The building is enormous in side and genuinely awe-inspiring.

A must-see in the heart of Bologna and close to other landmarks in and around the Piazza Maggiore.
Written April 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

andycoldham
Crawley, UK908 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
This basilica is located in the heart of the city, in piazza Maggiore. Its a huge building which commenced in the 14th century and took nearly 200 years to complete. It is steeped in history free to enter, and a must see site of Bologna. The interior of the church is stunning and its well worth paying the extra few euros to go into the inner chapel.
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CatherineGraceCleghorn
Crewe, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Stunning building with a real sense of calm and Godliness about it. We went to a Mass and then I came back to pray. I got really into it and suddenly realised that it had gone really quiet as everyone had left and the building was now locked up... I called the info line on the helpful leaflets and the nice man was really helpful. Great place to visit but do check closing times!
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

201pilot
Terre Haute, IN354 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Free to enter, this is the main church of Bologna. It is a stunning site to see on the inside, so much beautiful art/sculpture, amazing stained glass. The meridian line made from brass in the floor is so very cool.
Written October 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Angelo S
Hilliard, OH3,630 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Awe inspiring basilica in the middle of Bologna right off of Piazza Maggiore. While there are three or four basilica (basicilice?) in Bologna, San Petronio is a must visit due to its' size and location.
This is one of the few places I have seen that will actually enforce the wearing of appropriate attire. If you are not, you have the option to purchase a disposable covering.

Large open space on the inside with a number of beautiful frescoes (including one with Mohammed!) and intricate chapels along the outside. There is a central calendar line and a significant amount of detail to explore throughout.
Written November 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jordanellie41
Longridge, UK1,069 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
This basilica is huge from it's exterior and feels even bigger once you get inside. It doesn't have great kerb appeal from the outside as it has distinguishing features apart from it's huge doors. Inside there's many gigantic pillars, huge alcoves harbouring many paintings, murals and elegant gold plated ornaments. The altar is it's jewel as there's a fantastic large arch above it on four pillars with beautiful figurines and a cross to it's peak. There's a big gold cross hanging from it's inside and lovely frescos to the back wall. Some of these alcoves are simply resplendent
Written February 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HeatherMegaMauriFan
London276 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
This was our first visit - it is free to enter and there were police/security outside. The external brickwork and the internal opulence is humbling. We spent over an hour inside just trying to take it all in. It's just as impressive from outside and stands out in the Piazza Maggiore.
Written April 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve S
Palm Springs, CA1,677 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
The Basilica of San Petronio stands on Bologna’s main square, Piazza Maggiore. The Basilica is unfinished with the bottom part of the facade white and red marble (the colors of the city), and the upper part is just bricks. In 1562, the Catholic Church ordered the construction of the University of Bologna, on the space adjacent to the basilica, taking away the money originally allocated to finishing the church.
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JurreSilbi
Krakow, Poland81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
A very important place in Bologna. Worth seeing: stained glass windows; Cassini meridian, one of the longest in Europe, pendulum showing that our globe is moving!! Located in a very centre of Bologna, in vicinity to other interesting historic sites, such as towers, one of which is not vertical.
Free of charge but watch opening hours.
Written May 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

macedonboy
Glasgow, UK179,691 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
This Gothic church has been around since the 14th century, although it still took a couple of centuries for the current building to be fully completed. The exterior has a rectangular plan. The central nave is much taller than the two side naves. The latter also provided support for early Gothic flying buttresses that run the length of the naves. The exterior is mostly devoid of the type of decorations for such a prominent building. Only the archivolts and architraves of the three entrances seem to have sculptures and decorations. The two side doors are decorated with scenes from the New Testament showing the Resurrection on the left entrance and theDeposition on the right. The central and largest entrance depicts scenes from the Old Testament, including Adam, Noah and the Binding of Isaac

The centrepiece of the basilica is the high altar with a ciborium covering a 15th-century wooden crucifix. At the back of the altar is a fresco of the Madonna with St. Petronio.

Another notable feature is a sculpture of Pietà, which was conveniently placed outside of a chapel.
Written July 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna

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