Overview
The public library of Bologna
Salaborsa is a multimedia library that opened in 2001 and is located inside Palazzo d’Accursio, a historic building overlooking the beautiful Piazza Maggiore. The exhibits display contemporary culture in all available formats: books, newspapers, magazines, maps, videos, audio CDs, CD-ROMs and DVDs.
The library owes its name to the location and history of the building: it stands in the former Sala Borsa (stock exchange hall), where, at the end of the 19th century, Bolognese entrepreneurs would gather to participate in stock market trading, market operations and commercial exchanges. The area was then reclaimed in the early 2000s, as part of the larger Parco Urbano di Piazza Maggiore (Piazza Maggiore Urban Park) municipal redevelopment project.
Under the floor of the library, you can admire the archaeological excavations that have unearthed centuries of history: from the first settlements of the Villanovan civilisation in the 7th century BC, to the Etruscan city of Felsina, through to the Roman city of Bononia, founded back in 189 BC.
Salaborsa is an excellent educational centre, but it is also worth visiting simply to admire its beautiful structure. There are plenty of areas dedicated entirely to young people and children.
