5 Traveler Resources in Saragozza That You Shouldn't Miss

Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia

Arriving at the beautiful historic Piazza Nettuno immediately catches our eye the beautiful medieval Palazzo d'Accursio building ( Palazzo Comunale ). Biblioteca Salaborsa (Salabrosa Library) is located in one part of the Palace. The Salaborsa Library is the central public library opened in 2001 and provides a rich and fascinating cultural space inside the Palazzo d'Accursio, the ancient and historical seat of the city government. Its history is very interesting. In the thirteenth century, some Ghibella houses of late antiquity were built on this site above the Roman ruins. Among the builders are Francesco Accursio, a well-known lawyer at the Bologna School. The building then becomes a town hall. During Visconti's reign (1350 - 1360), the building was fortified because it had a house headquarters of troops that guarded the town hall, and converted Visconti into a true fortress. In 1568 Ulisse Aldrovandi transformed the inner garden into a botanical garden. Then began the cultivation of medicinal plants and exotic plants imported from all continents. Here Aldrovandi conducted the basic research that contributed to the creation of modern botany. In the meantime, a committee headed by Bologna entrepreneurs was set up, aimed at promoting the transformation of the indoor garden and cisterns into a space intended for the trade and market activities of the Bologna Stock Exchange, which had opened by then. Thus, between 1883 and 1886 on the site of the old garden built new Sala Borsa. Archaeological excavations carried out recently to restore Salaborsa revealed traces of public and religious buildings. They are visible to the public through a walkway and testify to the fact that the place has always been the center of public life in the city. There is an impressive wall perimeter of the Renaissance Terribilia tank, paved roads and foundations of the Roman basilica, the wall of the Medieval tower house and the star-shaped tub once at the center of the garden. In 1920, Salaborsa became a public restaurant, followed by the Bank with a Treasury (Cassa di Risparmio). After World War II and until the 1960s, the covered square served as a sports hall. This is where the Virtus Basketball Club originated. Today it is a beautiful and significant library.