Piazza Minghetti
The elegant Piazza Minghetti is located behind the Quadrilatero district, and is bordered by Via Farini. Inaugurated in 1896, the square was designed by Count Ernesto Balbo Bertone di Sambuy, who had already worked on the construction of the Giardini Margherita.
What to see in Piazza Minghetti
Two buildings stand out on the square: the
Palazzo delle Poste and the Palazzo della Cassa di Risparmio. Still housing Bologna's central post office, the palace of the same name was designed in the early 20th century by Emilio Saffi. Inside there are two reliefs from 1922 by sculptor Alfonso Borghesani, placed here in memory of the post office employees who perished during the First World War.
The Palazzo della Cassa di Risparmio also retains its original function. It is still the headquarters of the bank of the same name. Designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who had worked on the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, this marble and cast iron palace was inaugurated in 1877. Inside are various frescoes and statues by artists such as Arturo Colombarini, Giuseppe Pacchioni, Stefano Galletti and Giuseppe Romagnoli.
Last but not least, Piazza Minghetti is also home to a
40-metre-high secular plane tree that the Institute for Artistic, Monumental and Natural Heritage has included in the list of protected trees in Emilia Romagna.
About Marco Minghetti
Under the branches of the plane tree stands the
statue of the Bolognese politician who gave his name to the square, sculpted by Giulio Monteverde. Marco Minghetti (1818-1886) was a famous exponent of the Italian historical right, remembered for his deeds in favour of Italy and Bologna itself. In fact, he was
responsible for the first and last balanced budget in the history of our country, achieved during his second term as Prime Minister (1873 to 1876).
Minghetti was also one of the founders of the Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, as well as a friend of D'Azeglio and Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Cavour. A great traveller, Minghetti was for many years one of the protagonists in the history of post-unification Italy. In addition to being remembered in the city's toponymy, a high school in Via Nazario Sauro was also named after him. Today he is buried in the
Certosa Cemetery.
