Palazzo del Podestà, Bologna

Facing the main civic square of Bologna, this medieval palace was the seat of the podestà, the appointed magistrate who governed the commune, and later gained a Renaissance facade of brick and stone. Beneath its central tower a vaulted passage crosses at right angles, and a curious acoustic effect known as the whispering gallery lets words murmured in one corner be heard clearly in the opposite one. The upper hall now serves as a venue for exhibitions and events.