Description of the attraction
The Montagnola Gardens in Bologna, despite their name, are more of a park than ordinary gardens. They are located on the artificially created hill of Montagnola, which rises 60 meters above the city. At the foot of the hill there is a huge statue - the Monument to the People, dedicated to all those who died on August 18, 1848. This day is considered the most important in the Bologna history of the unification of Italy. The monument depicts a fallen Austrian soldier, over whom stands a jubilant Italian, holding a tricolor in his hands - a symbol of the unity of the nation. The author of the monument, erected here in 1903, is the Bolognese artist Pasquale Rizzoli.
Once upon a time on the site of the present park there was a forest with pastures overgrown with grass, however, starting in 1662, at the initiative of a certain Paolo Canali, large-scale transformations began - paths for horse carriages and horse rides were laid, open-air theater performances, games and public meetings. This is how the Montagnola gardens became the main park of Bologna.
In 1757, seven huge stone benches were installed here, symbolizing the belonging of the park to the people. In the first half of the 19th century, the engineer Giovanni Battista Martinetti redeveloped the park, following the pattern of French public squares. At the same time, Diego Sarti created huge sculptures that were placed around a small pond. And in 1896, Attilio Mudja built a magnificent staircase leading to the park from Via Indipendenza - more than one generation of young Italians rolled screeching down its marble railings. By the way, there is a play area for children in the park with an area of about 350 square meters, where various holidays, birthdays and costume parades are often held.
As a result of all these changes, the Montagnola gardens with their age-old plane trees, chestnuts and linden alleys have become not only a favorite resting place for the townspeople, but also a role model - many Italian cities have created their own parks following the example of Bologna.
