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About
Piazza VIII Agosto, also written as Piazza dell’Otto Agosto, is the largest square of the historical center of Bologna.
On each Friday and Saturday, Piazza VIII Agosto hosts the traditional Piazzola Market (Mercato Piazzola), with over 400 street stalls.
SHORT HISTORY
The area of the current square was acquired by the Municipality of Bologna in 1219, and was officially called Piazza del Mercato (Market Square) in 1251, for the livestock market that was held there.
In 1390, the Bolognese Republic granted the organization, eight days before and eight days after the Feast of San Petronio, of a fair, for the sale of any merchandise.
In the center of the square, there was a cross where mass was celebrated several times a day. During the fair, it was not allowed to set up stalls for the sale of goods anywhere else in the city.
Around the middle of the 18th century, in the center of the square was a 20 meters Doric column with the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII, who on July 14, 1656, established the annual horse fair during the month of May. For this purpose, in 1662, the square was raised and leveled.
On August 8, 1848, the square was the scene of the historic victory of the Bolognese against the Austrian army, which was expelled from the city losing over four hundred soldiers. Since then, the square was named in memory of this event.
In 1903, the Monument to the Peasant (Popolano), a sculpture by Pasquale Rizzoli, was built and placed on the steps of the Montagnola Park (Parco della Montagnola) overlooking the square.
In December 2000, a large underground car park with 980 parking spaces divided over three levels was inaugurated in the square.
HOW TO GET THERE
Piazza VIII Agosto is located about 700 meters from the Bologna Centrale railway station. The closest bus stop, Sferisterio, is located about 50 meters away, on the bus Lines 14, 19, 20, 25, 27, 28, 36, 37, 62, 89, 93, 94, 99 and 243.
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