Museo di Palazzo Poggi (Poggi Palace Museum), Bologna

In 1803, Bologna's university relocated to the lavish Poggi Palace, a 16th-century edifice adorned with Mannerist and early Baroque frescoes, now housing a complex array of museums. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this was the premier scientific institution in Europe, owing to Bologna's rich history of scholarship, particularly in anatomy and astronomy.

A guided tour of the former astronomical observatory ("Specola") tower atop the building – available in Italian and English, with online reservations required – comes highly recommended. The tour includes the Specola Museum and its diverse collection of astronomical instruments such as medieval astrolabes, celestial and terrestrial globes.

While the collections primarily served research purposes rather than catering to visitors, exploring the vaulted painted galleries with their cycles of 16th-century frescoes is a rewarding experience. The exhibits, many of which now feature labels and explanations in English, span from models of military architecture and reconstructions of 17th-century warships to precious manuscripts and Japanese woodcuts; however, the Museums of Obstetrics and Human Anatomy consistently draw the most attention. Established in the 18th century to educate surgeons, physicians, and midwives, the collection includes a birthing chair used for student practice, terracotta and wax models depicting fetal presentations, and detailed models of human dissections, providing a glimpse into medical education of the past.