Piazza Santo Stefano

Square Bologna, Italy

Piazza Santo Stefano, also called "Piazza delle Sette Chiese", is a square in Bologna. More properly, it is a triangular widening of via Santo Stefano: in fact the name "Piazza Santo Stefano" does not appear in the city street directory, although it is commonly used by the Bolognese. It is one of the characteristic glimpses of the historic center of Bologna. Coming from the Two Towers, the opposite side of the square is closed by the complex of the Basilica of Santo Stefano, or of the Seven Churches. The square, often used for cultural events and concerts, is surrounded by important buildings. Looking at the Basilica, on the left we have the complex of the Isolani palaces made up of the former Lupari and Bolognini palaces, purchased and joined together at different times by the Isolani family. On the right, however, are Palazzo Bolognini Amorini Salina, famous for its frieze with terracotta heads, and the so-called Case Tacconi, a splendid example of 15th-century Bolognese merchant houses. From the left side it is possible to reach Strada Maggiore through the passage of Corte Isolani.