Saracen House

Casa Saraceni , in Bologna, is considered one of the most interesting buildings that the city's Renaissance produced towards the end of the 15th century. The historic residence of the noble Saraceni family now houses the headquarters of the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation in Bologna .

The architectural score of the building is modulated according to a rigorous rhythmic order, in which the terracotta decoration that embellishes the design of the windows and the cornice plays an important role. The design of the facade thus blends the solid Bolognese tradition with the innovative Florentine architectural language . Today, art exhibitions and cultural events of great interest are organized in the space on the ground floor. The palace was built in the early sixteenth century, probably by Antonio Saraceni , a Bolognese nobleman and occasional member of the Senate from 1468 to 1502.

The building was built on the foundations of a house that had belonged to the Clarissimi family since the 13th century. In fact, a plaque placed in the adjacent San Damiano alley recalls the tower of Alberto Clarissimi, transformed in 1469 into the current roof terrace and still recognizable today.

A sumptuous and important residence, Casa Saraceni was chosen, after the expulsion of the Bentivoglios, in 1510, as the most appropriate place to host two Venetian ambassadors following the Pope Julius II. In 1930, the building passed to the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation in Bologna, which promoted the extensive and articulated restoration project in 2001, with extraordinary maintenance works.