The museum is housed in Palazzo d’Accursio, which was once the seat of papal representatives and is now home to the city government. The works displayed in these historic settings stem from a rich and diverse heritage, originating from donations of paintings, furniture, furnishings, and artifacts received by the Municipality of Bologna during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The art collection ranges from the 13th century to the early 20th century. It includes significant 15th- and early 16th-century medieval paintings, as well as a series of 17th-century Emilian works and pieces from other schools. One of the museum’s most important collections is housed in the Vidonian Gallery: eighteen mythological and allegorical canvases painted by Donato Creti, which were donated in 1744 by patron Marcantonio Collina Sbaraglia to the Bologna Senate.
