Reggio Emilia Marathon | Tourist Attractions

What To See In Reggio Emilia

The city offers many attractions and emotions to discover.
Download the map of the historic downtown.

Prampolini square

Il Duomo

THE PATH OF THE "SQUARES"

In the downtown there is a path called "Path of the Piazze (Squares)", 10 minutes walking where you will be able to see all the most important squares in Reggio Emilia. In Camillo Prampolini square you can overlook the most important political and religious buildings, among others the Bishop's palace and the Cathedral, of which you can admire the Baptistery, whose original construction dates back to the Middle Ages. The square of San Prospero is the second most famous square, characterized by the cathedral of San Prospero with its baroque façade, the pink marble fountain lions and its unfinished octagonal bell tower in a mannerist style.

THE MUSEUMS

In addition to the various squares, Reggio Emilia can boast important museums such as the Museo del Tricolore, which is set up inside Palazzo del Comune, where you can find Sala del Tricolore (council hall of the municipality, where the Italian tri-color flag was born) . Following the recent enlargements (2017), Museo del Tricolore has three different floors, here you can find documents relating to the history of the National flag and the different forms it took up to the end of the Napoleonic era.
Another museum is Palazzo dei Musei, a former Franciscan convent, where is the first private collection of the great naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani

Sala del Tricolore

Basilica Madonna della Ghiara

THE FAMOUS CLOISTERS

One of the most important attraction to visit is the Cloister of San Pietro. The construction of the convent began in the early 16th century and belonged to the Benedictine monks who officiated in the adjoining Church of San Pietro.
Also the Cloister of the Ghiara is very famous, located in via Guasco and seeing it leaves a pleasant sense of peace. The Cloister is an integral part of the Chiesa della Ghiara, another important Christian liturgical construction, linked to the miracle that took place on April 29, 1596 when the young Marchino, deaf and dumb from birth, got miraculously healed, while he was praying in front of an image of Madonna painted by Bertone. Peculiarity of the Basilica is the extraordinary cycle of frescoes and altarpieces made by the best artists of the '600 Emilian: Ludovico Carracci, Gianfrancesco Barbieri (il Guercino), Lionello Spada, Alessandro Tiarini, Carlo Bonomi and Luca Ferrari

FUTURISTIC ARCHITECTURE

Finally, if you want to discover something more current and technological, we recommend the three white steel bridges called Vele ("sails") di Calatrava, which are part of the project in the north area of the town that also includes the High Speed Train Station. They are new entrance doors to Reggio Emilia, giving its skyline a contemporary touch and acting as a distinguished landmark for the city itself.
The High Speed station called Mediopadana, built in 2008 and consisting of a building with a futuristic design, thought by Santiago Calatrava. It is 4km from downtown Reggio and acts as an intermodal exchange point with Regional line trains and with public and private urban services.
About futurist theme, we have to mention the Tecnopolo, a former shed of the famous Reggiane industries, where railway tools were produced in the 30s and 40s. Some sheds were renewed to allow for being a center of mechanical, mechatronics, construction, agri-food, energy and environment research, with the aim of producing and spreading knowledge, attracting hi-tech and high value-added companies, acting as a start-up and spin-off incubator.