The Museum of the History of Bologna in Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio was inaugurated in January 2012.

Heart of Genus Bononiae , it represents an innovative museum itinerary dedicated to the history, culture and transformations of Bologna , from the Etruscan Felsina to the present day. A surprising, multimedia and sensorial journey through 2500 years of history.

At the center of the covered courtyard the architect Bellini placed the "Tower of Time" , a glass and steel structure flooded with natural light from above. The Tower "reinvents" the courtyard and evokes the Bologna of the Towers, making the entire visit between the ground floor and the main floor possible and fluid.

Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio, the ancient home of one of the most important families of Bologna in medieval times, is the result of numerous additions and architectural stratifications. Its history begins in 1276, when Romeo Pepoli purchased the first buildings, and continues in 1344 , when his son Taddeo Pepoli built the first nucleus of the palace.

The Pepoli family, the first to govern Bologna at the time of the Lordships, remained owners of the building until 1910. Acquired in 2003 by the Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna Foundation , it constitutes the headquarters of the Museum of the History of Bologna , with the restoration and the museographic layout by Mario Bellini and with graphics by Italo Lupi.