It is said that Enzo of Sardinia, an illegitimate son of the emperor Frederick II, was held prisoner there in the 13th century. Some historians doubt it, as no one has seen him after he was defeated during one of the battles, but he allegedly died in captivity. Nevertheless, the Bentivoglio family, a powerful family that governed Bologna during the Renaissance era, claimed to be his descendants - and we’ll roll with this claim, leaving the investigation to the true historians.

Dark fact about Bologna: Today Palazzo Re Enzo serves as an event venue, but ever since medieval times it has been the main execution place - all the way until the execution was abolished. If you look carefully, you can spot two beams under one of the arches. These beams are no other thing than the parts of ancient gallows! You will most likely notice how tall these are - this is because a platform had to be used to carry out the execution. The executioner lived right here - inside Torre Lamberitini, where the female quarters of the prison were located as well - and was a very respectable person in Bologna. It wasn’t uncommon for local nobles to invite him to their dinners and balls - any guesses why?

Fun fact about Bologna: to balance out the grim story of this palace, there’s a fun (and free) attraction you can try out while walking under the arches of Palazzo Re Enzo. I’m talking about the so-called “cellphone”: if you stand in the opposite corners at the intersection of the arches in the center, one person should be able to hear what the other one is saying while being turned to face the corner of the wall!