Description of the attraction
Palazzo Re Enzo is a palace in Bologna, named after the ruler of Sardinia, Enzo, the stepson of Emperor Frederick II, who was imprisoned here from 1249 until his death in 1272.
The palace was built in 1245 as a continuation of the nearby Palazzo Podestà. Then it was called simply Palazzo Nuovo - a new palace. Three years after the completion of construction at the Battle of Fossalta, Enzo of Sardinsky was captured, who, after a short stay in Anzola, was transported to Bologna and imprisoned in the new Palazzo. According to legend, during the day the prisoner was allowed to walk around the palace, but at night he was locked in a cage suspended from the ceiling. He had his own court staff and even his own cook. Enzo was also allowed to see women - so his three daughters were born and, according to an unconfirmed version, a son born of a simple peasant woman. The boy was named Bentivoglio from the words "Amore mio, ben ti voglio", which translated from Italian means "Dear, I love you." They say that it was he who became the ancestor of the famous Bentivoglio family - the rulers of Bologna in the 15th century. Enzo was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico, just as he wanted.
In 1386, Antonio di Vicenzo completed work on the Hall of Three Hundreds - Sala dei Trecento, which became the city's archive. In 1771, according to the project of Giovanni Giacomo Dotti, a large-scale reconstruction of the last floor of the palace was carried out, and at the beginning of the 20th century it acquired its current Gothic appearance thanks to the architect Alfonso Rubbiani. To the right of the Palazzo Re Enzo is the chapel of Santa Maria dei Carcerati, through which those sentenced to death passed. On the ground floor of the palace were kept the Carroccio - a four-wheeled carriage-altar, on which the priests conducted services during the battles, and other military weapons, and the middle floor was occupied by the offices of the praetor and another chapel.
Today the luxurious Palazzo Re Enzo with 2500 sq.m. square, is one of the main historical landmarks of Bologna.
