"OPEN: Palco aperto" is the project of the Municipality of Bologna financially supported by the Ministry of Tourism with 1,906,616.00 euros, for the implementation of interventions that interpret the porticoes of Bologna as a vibrant stage for cultural expression and the tourism promotion of the city.
The Porticoes of Bologna, inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021, are a serial site that includes 12 specific sections of the total 62 km of city porticoes, built from the 12th century until today. Regulated as private property for public use, the porticoes have become an element of Bologna's identity over time, well representing the city's inclination towards hospitality and sociability. The OPEN project identifies the porticoes as a backdrop, open to host cultural events to enhance the city's creative and musical vocation, with the main purpose of positioning Bologna as a major international tourist destination, at the crossroads between heritage and creativity.
The main actions of the project include the restyling of the institutional Porticoes website, the creation of tourist itineraries and guided tours, the installation of multilingual plaques with QR codes, the creation of a system for monitoring tourist flows, as well as the organization of the Bologna Portici Festival, a large event spread across various city districts, over several days, to celebrate the porticoes as a UNESCO heritage site and Bologna creative city of music, with site-specific artistic performances, initiatives to enhance traditional lore and special projects.
