10 Things to Do in Bologna on a Small Budget

Certosa di Bologna (also known as Bologna's Monumental Cemetery) has a romantic charm and melancholy peace that has inspired great writers like Dickens and Byron. The former Carthusian monastery is in the city's western suburbs, about a 30-minute bus ride from the centre. This architectural masterpiece dates back to 1334 and became a cemetery in the early 19th century. 

It has intricate sculptures of angels and mausoleums preserving ancient families’ forgotten glories. Poet Giosuè Carducci and singer Lucio Dalla are among Certosa di Bologna's permanent residents. The Chiesa di San Girolamo (Church of San Girolamo) houses treasures and a pictorial cycle on the life of Christ.

Villa Spada is a 19th-century Italian park and villa in Bologna.  Built in the 1700s, statues and architecture frame its natural landscape, while geometric hedges delineate spaces in a symmetrical shape. The neoclassical villa houses the Museum of Tapestry, where you can see examples of dresses across different cultures and periods.

Villa Spada is open to the public, so you can stretch out on the large sun-warmed lawn on Collina di Casaglia (Casaglia Hill) and admire the cityscape. The gardens have dense and varied vegetation, including Mediterranean cypresses and laurels, as well as exotic plants such as Himalayan cedars.

Montagnola Park is one of the oldest public parks in Bologna, with its ancient origins evident from centuries-old sycamores. Its current landscaping is of 19th-century designs, due to Napoleon’s decision to add a French touch to the city during his stay. 

The park's scenic entrance on the northern side, along with the Scalinata Del Pincio staircase, was built to welcome those arriving in Bologna by train. Risorgimento uprisings against the Austrians took place in 1848, so you'll see a monument dedicated to those who fell in this battle. There's also a fountain with sculptures of fighting animals, built for the Esposizione Emiliana in 1888. 

The Luigi Cattaneo Anatomical Wax Model Museum is a testament to Bologna's role in medical sciences during the 18th and 19th centuries. Located in the University of Bologna, the museum was established by Luigi Cattaneo, professor of anatomy in the 1970s. 

You can see wax models dating back to the 19th century, as well as real human skulls bones used for research and teaching. The museum also demonstrates the development of preservation techniques, with displays of mummified, dried and fluid-preserved organs. 

The Luigi Bombicci Museum of Mineralogy has a collection of over 50,000 specimens, including meteorites and ornamental stones. Around 10,000  of those objects are displayed according to categories like Systematic Mineralogical, Italian Regional Mineralogical, Bolognese Mineralogical-Petrographical, and Systematic Petrographical. 

Must-sees at the Luigi Bombicci Museum of Mineralogy include the silvery-white Bologna stone, 142 meteorites, and tools used by 19th-century scholars. The museum is home to Italy's largest collection of ornamental stones, a quirky display of amber stones containing insects, and a 230-g gold nugget from Ethiopia. 

Bologna Cathedral towers above the city centre with its striking baroque facade. Officially called the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Pietro, the building dates back to the 10th century, though restorations in 1605 removed traces of the original Romanesque-Gothic design. 

Head inside to see a nave with side chapels, housing artwork by prestigious painters like Carraci and Fontana, a 12th-century wooden crucifix, and terracotta sculptures depicting the Compianto sul Cristo Morto (the Mourning of Christ). For a small fee, you can climb to the top of the bell tower, the second-highest in the city after Asinelli Tower. There's an enormous bell weighing 3.3 tonnes, affectionately called nonna (grandma) by locals.

Mercato di Mezzo (Middle Market) has been operating in Piazza Maggiore since the Middle Ages. It became a covered market after Italy's unification, now serving as one of the best places to shop for local produce and cuisine. 

The market's top floor has a sit-down pizzeria, while the basement is dedicated to craft beers. The ground floor hosts dozens of food stalls and dining tables. You'll be treated to a wide range of cheeses, cold cuts, handmade pasta, bread, wine, meat, fish, and gelato. 

Mercato Piazzola (Piazzola Market) is a local market that takes place in Piazza dell'Otto Agosto on Fridays and Saturdays. This large space holds around 400 stalls and shops offering a wide range of goods. The market has a multiethnic vibe, though the colours, liveliness and bustle are all quintessentially Bolognese. 

You'll find sections dedicated to clothes, shoes, accessories, household items, plants and flowers. If you like all things vintage, visit the stands in the Montagnola area to browse military uniforms and eveningwear, as well as novelties and ethnic crafts.

The concept behind the exhibitions and set-up of Ono Contemporary Art is fascinating, especially if you're interested in modern forms of art. The gallery has 3 floors dedicated to all types of pop culture, with sections on music, cinema and fashion. 

It's a concept store that's not just limited to paintings and visual art. You can take part in various art-related lectures and meet friends for an aperitif in the lounge bar. Peruse the onsite bookshop for texts and catalogues on current and past exhibitions, photobooks and essays.