Palazzo Re Enzo, Gothic palace in Bologna, Italy
Palazzo Re Enzo is a 13th-century Gothic structure in Bologna standing directly on Piazza Maggiore. Four stories with arched openings and crenellations define its appearance, while arcades on the ground floor open access to interior courtyards.
The building rose between 1244 and 1246 as an extension of the adjacent Palazzo del Podestà. After the Battle of Fossalta in 1249 it served as a prison for King Enzio, who remained here until his death in 1272.
The name recalls King Enzio of Sardinia, who spent two decades here in captivity. Today visitors explore the third floor hall where cultural events bring new life to the medieval structure.
Access is through the arcades of Piazza Maggiore, where entrances open depending on the event calendar. Information about current exhibitions is posted at the main entrance and helps with orientation inside.
A chapel for condemned prisoners stood at the right entrance of the building, where inmates prayed before execution. The interior once housed heavy war machines and the Carroccio, the city's ceremonial battle wagon from the communal period.
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