Bologna
6 homes
Inside the Restoration, Bologna
The Inner Terrace, Bologna
The Altana Bedroom, Bologna
Frescoes by the Collegio, Bologna
A Habitable Work of Art, Bologna
Frescoed Palazzo Apartment, Bologna
Bologna
The most liveable of Italy's great historic cities: forty kilometres of porticoes, Europe's oldest university, and a centre still lived in year-round rather than surrendered to tourism.
Life here
- Porticoed streets
- University city
- Food capital
- Rail hub of Italy
Ownership rationale
The centre is protected and its finest buildings are under Soprintendenza care, so supply of restored apartments in frescoed palazzi is genuinely small. Student and professional demand keeps the city occupied all year.
Getting here
Bologna Centrale puts Milan and Florence around 35 minutes away and Rome under two hours; Marconi airport is 20 minutes from the centre.
The market, honestly
Published data where it exists — sources belowPrice per square metre
€4,195 – €5,226 / m² in the historic centre
Immobiliare.it quotes the Centro zone of Bologna in a range of €4,195–5,226/m² (May 2026), against a city-wide average of €3,802/m². Restored apartments in period palazzi — original floors, frescoed ceilings, height and light — sit at the top of that band and above it; unrenovated stock and dark lower floors sit well below.
Last three years
+6.6% in the last year in the centre
Centro asking prices rose 6.59% in the twelve months to May 2026 (Immobiliare.it). The centre has climbed steadily since 2018, when the average was around €3,391/m². Rents in the zone eased slightly over the same period (−4.0%), so the movement is being led by sale values rather than yield.
Rental return
3 – 4.5% gross on long or academic lets (our estimate)
Not a published figure. Immobiliare.it puts Centro rents at roughly €17.8–19.1/m² a month. Bologna is a year-round university and trade-fair city, so we underwrite it on long-term and academic-year letting rather than nightly rates.
Holding and resale
€2,500 – €6,000 a year (our estimate)
Typical annual running costs including taxes, utilities and basic maintenance. Good. Restored central apartments are a small, consistently demanded category.
Who this suits
- Buyers who want a city home used across the whole year
- Owners who value protected historic fabric over floor area
- Anyone who wants Milan, Florence and Venice within an hour by rail
Price levels and recent movement come from the published sources listed below, read in 2026. Rental returns, running costs and liquidity are our own working estimates and are labelled as such. None of this is a valuation — any specific home we bring you is underwritten on its own numbers.
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