Palazzo Pepoli, Medieval palace museum in Bologna, Italy

Palazzo Pepoli, also called Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio, is a medieval brick palace at Via Castiglione 8, near Bologna's Two Towers. Taddeo Pepoli built it in 1344 as a fortified residence with a moat and drawbridges. A frieze of white and black squares, echoing the Pepoli coat of arms, still runs beneath the crenellated cornice. Since 2012 it has housed the Museo della Storia di Bologna, entered at number 10.

Construction of the palace began in 1344 under Taddeo Pepoli and remained in family hands for many generations. The city took over the building in 1910 and eventually transformed it into a museum to preserve and share the area's past.

The palace has housed the Museo della Storia di Bologna since January 2012, after the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna acquired it in 2003. In the Sala della Cultura hang twelve terracotta busts of illustrious Bolognese women, carved around 1680-1690 by a sculptor of the Casa Fibbia and moved here from Palazzo Felicini-Fibbia.

The museum is located on Via Castiglione and is generally open most days of the week, though hours may vary on certain days. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since exploring the different floors involves climbing stairs throughout the historic building.

The central courtyard holds a modern glass and steel structure designed by Mario Bellini that brings daylight into the interior spaces below. This contemporary addition creates a striking contrast between the old palace and modern design, and many visitors pass through without fully noticing it.