Bologna, September 6, 2026 – One of the most famous symbols of Bologna is ready to show itself in a “new guise,” capable of offering an extraordinary moment to the public and letting the spectators’ imagination travel in an immersive experience of lights and colors.
On the evenings of September 18, 19, and 20, Piazza Maggiore will host “La Piazza si Riaccende – The hidden designs of an unfinished facade,” an event already awaited by many and ready to offer a unique show in its kind in the heart of the city. The facade of the basilica of San Petronio will become the protagonist of a suggestive story of light, music, and architecture through the ‘magic’ of videomapping created by Luca Agnani: an unmissable occasion that will bring to life before the public’s eyes the numerous projects developed over the centuries to complete the basilica’s cladding.
The projects developed over the centuries will temporarily transform the face of the basilica
Yes, because the visions of great architects such as Andrea Palladio, Giulio Romano, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Vignola, Terribilia, and Girolamo Rainaldi, up to the most recent interpretation by Mario Cucinella, will alternate on the facade with extraordinary realism, temporarily transforming the face of one of the most representative monuments of the city.
What is videomapping: a journey through lights and colors
Videomapping is, in fact, a multimedia technique capable of projecting digital images and animations onto real surfaces, transforming them and giving them new life through light plays, colors, and visual suggestions: a show that, hosted in the heart of the city and its main square, will gain an even more special charm.
The show in the square: all times and dates
The inaugural evening is scheduled for Friday, September 18 at 9 PM and will be accompanied by the historical-artistic narration of Jacopo Veneziani, performances by young performers trained at the Opera School of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and music by Rossini, Donizetti, and Respighi.
The show will be repeated on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, with projections at 9 PM, 10 PM, and 11 PM on recorded music, to the notes of the Overture of William Tell by Rossini. A special occasion to rediscover the history of the unfinished facade of San Petronio and observe how Bologna, over the centuries, has imagined one of its most iconic places. In case of rain, the inaugural evening – it has been announced – will be postponed to the following evening.
