Bologna Map Poster: a perfect medieval radial, in brick red
Why Bologna works so well as a map poster
Bologna has one of the clearest radial plans in Europe. Streets fan out from Piazza Maggiore and the Two Towers like spokes of a wheel, and the viali, the ring boulevards built over the medieval walls, close the circle so neatly that the old city sits on the map like a seal pressed into wax.
Inside the ring the texture is dense and continuous, forty kilometres of porticoes stitched into narrow blocks; outside it, the via Emilia enters from the northwest and leaves to the southeast, the same Roman road it has been for two thousand years, while the first Apennine foothills rise just south of the frame.
Best palettes for Bologna
- Terracotta — the signature pick: Bologna la Rossa deserves exactly these brick and terracotta tones.
- Warm Beige — quiet and scholarly, like the porticoes at siesta time.
- Noir — the radial plan in pure black; medieval geometry as modern art.
Where to centre the map and which radius to use
Centre on Piazza Maggiore with a 4 km radius so the full ring of the viali floats in the middle of the frame, with the radial streets and the via Emilia clearly readable around it.
Ready-made Bologna posters
We have already rendered 5 Bologna designs at 300 DPI (Terracotta, Blueprint, Midnight Blue, Noir, Warm Beige). Download the files for 9.99 € and print them anywhere, or order a premium matte print (A4 to 60×90 cm) with shipping included.
See all Bologna designs Order it printed
Design your own Bologna poster
Pick any of the 17 palettes, set the exact centre and radius described above, choose the size and the label text (Bologna, or a neighbourhood name), and we render it for you from live map data after checkout. From 14 €, usually ready in 5–15 minutes.
Which size to print
City maps with lots of fine streets reward size: 30×40 cm is the sweet spot for a desk or hallway, 50×70 cm and 60×90 cm turn the map into a statement piece where individual streets remain legible from across the room. Stick to matte paper so the dark palettes do not reflect. Read the printing and framing guide.