Art and Architecture
The façade features a portcullis and a Madonna with Child, a terracotta by Niccolò dell'Arca (1478) in the upper section. Over the portal is a large bronze statue of the Bolognese Pope Gregory XIII (1580). A bronze statue of Pope Boniface VIII is now in Medieval Museum.
The Hall of the Communal Council, on the first floor, is where the Bolognese Senators met, and contains a frescoed gallery ceiling by Angelo Michele Colonna and Gioacchino Pizzoli (1675–1677). The quadratura ceiling depicts in four parts,: 1) Minerva (goddess of knowledge) and Mars (god of war) convince Fame to trumpet the town's virtues. 2) Cybele (Magna Mater Goddess) pointing to the glory of Olympus, which could also be seen as a metaphor of Papal Power. 3) Bacchus, Pomona and Caeres are symbols of the fertile harvests of the surrounding farmland.
The Farnese Hall, on the second floor, was rebuilt in 1665 by Cardinal Girolamo Farnese: it was previously known as "Royal Hall", and here was crowned Charles V in 1530, as King of Italy with the Iron Crown (the imperial coronation instead took place in the Basilica of San Petronio). It has fresco decoration by pupils of Francesco Albani. The Chapel has frescoes by Prospero Fontana (1562). The Hall is decorated with stories of the city from the Middle Ages to the 17th century.
Read more about this topic: Palazzo D'Accursio
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