The Palazzo Poggi is a '' palazzo'' in Via Zamboni 33,

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

, Italy. It is the headquarters of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...

and of the rector of the university.

History

The Palazzo Poggi was built as the home of Alessandro Poggi and his brother the future Cardinal

Giovanni Poggio Giovanni Poggio (also written Poggi) (21 January 1493 – 12 February 1556) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. He is mainly known for the elaborate decorations he arranged for his residence, the Palazzo Poggi. Early years Poggi ...

. The building was erected between 1549 and 1560. The design of the Palazzo Poggi has been attributed to

Bartolomeo Triachini Bartolomeo Triachini or Bartolomeo Tassi (1516–1587) was a Bolognese architect. Life Little is recorded about Triachini's life other than documents about his work. Triachini was a member of a charitable foundation, to which the painter Prospe ...

. He was apparently given the commission for the Palazzo Poggi by the Bishop Giovanni Poggi shortly before he was elevated to Cardinal. Other sources attribute the design of the Palazzo Poggi to

Pellegrino Tibaldi Pellegrino Tibaldi (Valsolda, 1527–Milan, 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerism, mannerist architect, sculpture, sculptor, and mural Painting, painter. Biography Tibaldi was born in Puria di Valsol ...

. Cardinal Poggi met

after the painter moved to Rome in 1547, and later commissioned him to paint the Palazzo Poggi. Tibaldi, a native of Bologna, returned to the city in 1555 and painted frescos for the Cardinal in the palace and the family chapel. The frescoes are considered Tibaldi's masterpiece. In 1714 the Palazzo Poggi became the House of the Instituto dell Scienze of Bologna. The Institute of Sciences was founded by

Luigi Ferdinando Marsili Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (or Marsigli, Lat. ''Marsilius''; 10 July 1658 – 1 November 1730) was an Italian scholar and eminent natural scientist, who also served as an emissary and soldier. Biography Born in Bologna, he was a member ...

. The Tower Observatory (La Specola) was built between 1712 and 1725. The library was built in 1744 following designs by Giuseppe Antonio Torri and

Carlo Francesco Dotti Carlo Francesco Dotti (baptized January 1, 1670 – June 3, 1759) was an Italian architect from Bologna. Life Carlo Francesco Dotti was born and died in Bologna, where he became one of the main protagonists of the late Baroque style. His ...

. The collection of images was begun in 1754. The monumental Great Hall of the institute was added to the north side of the palace in the eighteenth century, opened in 1756. The Institute of Science was a model learning establishment in Europe during the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

and a key part of the

. It enjoyed the protection of the Bolognese Pope

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...

(Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini). During the Napoleonic period, scientific equipment from the Institute was dispersed among different faculties (anatomy, optics, chemistry, geography, nautical science, physics, astronomy) and the historical collections were scattered in various museums. Only the library remained in the Palazzo Poggi, to form the nucleus of the future university library. The Palazzo is now one of the main buildings of the

. At the end of the twentieth century, a cultural project was promoted by the University to return and gather the dispersed collections back to their historic home.

Layout and usage

The current appearance of the Palazzo Poggi, with a large courtyard with loggia and a large staircase to the piano nobile is due to the interventions by Cardinal Giovanni Poggi. The palace has fresco decorations mainly from the Mannerist and early-

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

periods, the works include:Muuseo Palazzo Poggi
mural decorations. *Rooms of ''Moses'', ''David'', and camerino of the ''Sphinxes'' by

Prospero Fontana Prospero Fontana (1512–1597) was a Bolognese painter of late Renaissance and Mannerist art. He is perhaps best known for his frescoes and architectural detailing. The speed in which he completed paintings earned him commissions where he wo ...

*Rooms of ''Susana'' and of the ''Zodiac'' by

*Rooms of ''Camilla'', ''Landscapes'', the concert hall with ''Labors of Hercules'', and of ''Winemaking Putti'' by Niccolò dell'Abbate *Rooms of ''Grotteschi'' and ''Telemons'' by Fontana,

Nosadella Nosadella, full name Giovanni Francesco Bezzi, (active c. 1549–1571) was an Italian painter and draftsman, active during the Mannerist period, mainly in Bologna. He appears to have traveled to Rome. He was a pupil of Pellegrino Tibaldi. Few o ...

and

Ercole Procaccini the Elder Ercole Procaccini the Elder (1520 – 1595) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, mainly active in Milan. He was born in Bologna. He painted an ''Annunciation'' for the church of San Benedetto, a ''Conversion of St. Paul'' and a ...

. On the ground floor there is a hall dedicated to the poet

Giosuè Carducci Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci (; 27 July 1835 – 16 February 1907) was an Italian poet, writer, literary critic and teacher. He was very noticeably influential, and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906, h ...

, the ''Aula Carducci'', in which the poet gave lectures on the Italian language and literature for 40 years. Also on the ground floor there is the Hercules Room, holding a statue of the mythological hero sculpted by

Angelo Piò Angelo Gabriello Piò (Bologna, 1690- Bologna, 1770) was an Italian sculptor, active in Bologna in a Rococo style. Life In Bologna, he studied from 1711 to 1712 under Andrea Ferreri (1673–1744) . He was also a pupil of Giuseppe Maria Mazza. A ...

in 1730. The palace also houses various university museums, the university rectorate, the Bologna University Library and the picture gallery, with over 600 fine portraits.

Museum collections

*Natural history ** Ulisse Aldrovandi Museum **Collections of

**Diluvian Museum of the Institute of Science *Anatomy and obstetrics **Obstetrics School **

Anatomical wax model A wax sculpture is a depiction made using a waxy substance. Often these are effigy, effigies, usually of a notable individual, but there are also death masks and scenes with many figures, mostly in relief. The properties of beeswax make it an ...

s of Ercole Lelli **Anatomical wax models of

Giovanni Manzolini Giovanni Manzolini (1700-1755) was a Bolognese artist, an expert maker of wax anatomical models and a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna. His wife Anna Morandi Manzolini also became a well-known maker of wax anatomical models. E ...

and

Anna Morandi Manzolini Anna Morandi Manzolini (21 January 1714 – 9 July 1774) was an internationally known anatomist and anatomical wax modeler, as lecturer of anatomical design at the University of Bologna. Life Morandi was born in 1714 in Bologna, Italy. She wa ...

. **The Venerina of

Clemente Susini Clemente Michelangelo Susini (1754–1814) was an Italian sculptor who became renowned for his wax anatomical models, vividly and accurately depicting partly dissected corpses. These models were praised by both doctors and artists. Biography C ...

*Physics and chemistry **Light and optics **Electricity *Geography room *Military Architecture *Library of the Institute of Science *Gallery of ships

Gallery

File:The ceilings in Palazzo Poggi - Bologna.jpg, Ceiling of ''Sala of David'' by

File:Seventeenth century globe - Palazzo Poggi.jpg, Seventeenth century globe by Vincenzo Coronelli (Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna) File:Biblioteca dell'Universita di Bologna.jpg, University library File:Scheletri - Palazzo Poggi.jpg, Exhibits in the anatomical museum File:2017-03 Bologna Mattes Pana (33).JPG, ditto File:Obstetrical room - Palazzo Poggi.jpg, Models illustrating the birth process File:Museo Palazzo Poggi.jpg, The "Venerina" of

(anatomical wax model)

Notes and references

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * * {{refend External links
MeuS Museo europeo degli Studenti
Houses completed in 1560 University of Bologna

Poggi Poggi is an Italian surname, derived from the word ''poggio'', meaning ''knoll''. Notable people with the surname include: * Amelio Poggi (1914–1974), Italian bishop and diplomat * Ansaldo Poggi, Italian luthier * Antonio Poggi, Italian tenor ...