# San Petronio Basilica, Bologna > San Petronio is Bologna's great church and one of the largest in the world, on the central Piazza Maggiore. You'll know it by its unfinished front: white and pink marble below, bare brick above. Inside is a huge, bright Gothic hall and a sun line on the floor almost seventy metres long. Entry is free; allow 40 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio - City: [Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna), Italy - YesGo score: 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; terrace and chapel paid - Opening hours: Daily, with a midday break - Highlights: Façade, Cassini's meridian, chapels, terrace - Length: ≈ 132 m, one of the world's largest churches - Time needed: 40 minutes - Location: Piazza Maggiore, central Bologna - Coordinates: 44.49338, 11.34328 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1390** — building began (source: English Wikipedia) - **c. 132 m** — length of the church (source: English Wikipedia) - **1425–1438** — Jacopo della Quercia carved the main portal (source: English Wikipedia) - **1655** — Giovanni Cassini laid the sun line (source: English Wikipedia) - **Unfinished** — the upper façade is still bare brick (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of San Petronio The basilica is dedicated to **St Petronius**, patron of Bologna, and was begun in **1390**. The city planned an enormous church to outdo the one in Rome, but building dragged on for centuries and the plans were cut back several times. Even unfinished, it's one of the largest churches in the world, about **132 metres** long. Its most striking feature is the **façade**: the lower part is clad in white and pink marble with carved portals, the upper part still bare brick. Above the main door are **Jacopo della Quercia**'s reliefs (**1425–1438**) of Bible scenes, which the young Michelangelo studied. ## Inside: the meridian and chapels Inside is a bright Gothic hall with soaring vaults and columns of rosy brick. Along the floor of the left aisle runs a brass **sun line**, the meridian laid in **1655** by the astronomer **Giovanni Cassini**. At noon a ray of sunlight through a hole in the vault falls on the line and marks the date; it's one of the longest such lines in the world. Some twenty side chapels line the nave with altars, paintings and stained glass. One holds 15th-century frescoes with lively scenes of the Magi's journey. Look up, too, at the great organs above the choir, among the oldest in Italy and still played. ## What to see in San Petronio - **The façade** — marble below, brick above. - **The main portal** — reliefs by Jacopo della Quercia. - **Cassini's meridian** — the sun line on the floor. - **Side chapels** — altars, frescoes and stained glass. - **The historic organs** — above the choir. - **The terrace** — views over Piazza Maggiore and the towers. > **The terrace view** From the side of the church on Piazza Galvani you can climb to the basilica's terrace for views of Piazza Maggiore, Bologna's red roofs and the Asinelli and Garisenda towers. It's paid and the hours vary by season, so check on the spot. The view is best towards sunset. ## Piazza Maggiore The basilica stands on **Piazza Maggiore**, Bologna's main square, where locals meet, sit on the basilica steps and stroll in the evening. Medieval palaces surround it: **Palazzo d'Accursio**, the town hall with its clock tower, and the arcaded **Palazzo del Podestà**, with the famous [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) on the neighbouring square. Under the arch of Palazzo del Podestà is a 'whispering gallery': stand in opposite corners of the vault, whisper into the wall, and your companion hears every word. In summer there's open-air cinema on the square, and at Christmas a tree and market. ## How to get to San Petronio 1. The basilica is on **Piazza Maggiore**, right in the centre. 2. From the [Two Towers](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna), 5 minutes along Via Rizzoli. 3. From Bologna Centrale station, 20 minutes on foot along Via Indipendenza. 4. Buses from the station to Via Rizzoli take about 10 minutes. ## Tips for your visit Entry is free, but there's usually a bag check at the door and large backpacks aren't allowed. Cover shoulders and knees. A small donation is sometimes requested for taking photos inside; ask at the entrance. To see the meridian at work, come around noon on a sunny day, when the beam of light lands on the brass line and creeps along it. Afterwards have a coffee on the square and walk under the porticoes to the towers. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Leave a large backpack at the hotel - [ ] Find Cassini's meridian on the floor - [ ] Study the main portal reliefs - [ ] Climb to the terrace for the towers - [ ] Whisper in the Palazzo del Podestà gallery ## Places in Bologna: compare and choose Places in Bologna rated by YesGo. - [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside - [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free ## Central Bologna in half a day San Petronio and Piazza Maggiore, the Fountain of Neptune, then the Asinelli and Garisenda towers. 1. [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 2. [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside ## Don't mix it up San Petronio is the city's great church but not its cathedral: Bologna Cathedral is San Pietro on Via Indipendenza. ## Tips - Free entry. - The meridian at noon. - No large backpacks. - The terrace faces the towers. ## Questions ### Is San Petronio free? Yes, entry is free; the terrace and one chapel are paid. ### Why is San Petronio's façade unfinished? Building dragged on for centuries, plans were cut back, and the upper façade was left as bare brick. ### What is the meridian in San Petronio? A sun line on the floor laid by the astronomer Cassini in 1655; at noon a beam of sunlight travels along it. ### Can you go up the San Petronio terrace? Yes, from the side of the church on Piazza Galvani; it's paid. ### What else is on Piazza Maggiore? Palazzo d'Accursio, Palazzo del Podestà with its whispering gallery, and the Fountain of Neptune nearby. ## How we checked History and interior from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: San Petronio Basilica and Piazza Maggiore - Official basilica site, basilicadisanpetronio.org --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.