Tour the Municipal Palace for a dazzling exhibition of paintings, furniture and decorative objects from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Exit through the courtyard, where a modern artist’s stone sofas and armchair invite you to relax and check your e-mail; it’s a Wi-Fi zone (Piazza Maggiore 6).
See the “Skinned Persons,” two carved linden-wood statues flanking the professorial chair in the exquisitely paneled Anatomy Theater, the 17th-century classroom for medical students at Bologna University’s Archiginnasio Palace (Piazza Galvani 1).
Visit the Ship Museum for views of a 17th-century gunpowder-stuffed incendiary boat and the Museum of Military Architecture for wooden-fortification maps used to teach the art of urban warfare (both in the Poggi Palace, Via Zamboni 33).
Savor gelato from Il Gelatauro, a gourmet shop serving innovative homemade flavors such as jasmine and bergamot, and pistachio with almond and spongecake; some reviewers call it the tastiest ice cream in Europe (Via S. Vitale 98/B).
