Clock Tower of the Palazzo d'Accursio and Its Terraces

What it is

The Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) crowns the Palazzo d'Accursio, Bologna's town hall, in Piazza Maggiore. You climb through the palace's courtyards and staircases, pass through the Sala Farnese and beside the mechanism that drives the clock, and come out on two panoramic terraces above the red roofs of the centre, the basilica of San Petronio and the medieval towers. With the Asinelli tower closed for the consolidation works on the Garisenda, it is the simplest way to see Bologna from above.

The ticket also includes the Municipal Art Collections, in the same palace: paintings, art objects, furniture, porcelain and textiles from the Middle Ages to today.

What the climb is like

There is no lift: the whole route is on foot, up stairs. To access the highest terrace you must sign a liability form on the spot. Children under 8 cannot go up to that upper terrace, even accompanied. The tower visit lasts about 40 minutes and the collections about an hour more.

Closed shoes or sandals fastened at the heel are required: you cannot go up in flip-flops, heels or loose shoes. Rucksacks, bulky bags and animals of any size are not allowed.

Opening hours

• Clock Tower: every day, with entry on the hour, at twenty past and at twenty to. From 7 September 2026 to 28 February 2027, the first entry is at 10:00 and the last at 18:20; on 24 and 31 December the last is at 16:20, and it is closed on 25 December.
• Municipal Art Collections: Tuesday and Thursday from 14:00 to 19:00, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 19:00, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:30. Closed on Mondays (except public holidays), 1 May and 25 December. Last entry half an hour before.

The tower and collections have different hours; the ticket is valid for seven days, so you can see each part on a different day.

Prices

• General: €10.
• Reduced: €7 for ages 4 to 11, over-65s, university students and Card Cultura holders.
• Free: children aged 0 to 3, people with disabilities and their companion, and holders of the Bologna Welcome Card Easy and Plus.

The audio guide is on your phone, in Spanish, Italian, English and French: bring headphones.

Booking

Booking is compulsory, on the Bologna Welcome website. Arrive five minutes before your time: if you are late you do not get in and are not refunded. It can be cancelled or changed free of charge up to 24 hours before. After 19:00, entry is through the side door under the portico.

With children

Children like seeing the clock mechanism and stepping out onto the terraces, but remember that under-8s do not go up to the upper terrace and minors must be with an adult. With a pushchair it is not possible.

Combine it with

You are in Piazza Maggiore, the starting point of the guided walk through the centre. A step away, the Archiginnasio and its anatomical theatre, and five minutes away, the Museum of the History of Bologna.