Asiyah Noemi Koso
Google
In the beautiful Piazza del Nettuno there is an interesting and beautiful palace, Palazzo Re Enzo. It takes its name from Enzo of Sardinia, Frederick II's son, who was prisoner here, from 1249 until his death in 1272. The palace was built between 1244-1246. as an extension of the nearby Palazzo del Podestà, which had proven insufficient for the exigencies of the Commune of Bologna. It was therefore initially known as the Palatium Novum ("New Palace"). The historical story is extremely interesting but at the same time very sad. Enzo was an illegitimate son of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II, who appointed him 'King of Sardinia' in 1238. He played a major role in the wars between Guelphs and Ghibellines in the creation of Imperial kingdoms of Italy. Enzo was captured 1249 by the Guelphs at the Battle of Fossalta, and after a short stay in Anzola he was moved here, where he remained until his death. Enzo was allegedly left free within the palace by day, but by night he was kept into a cage hanging from the ceiling. He was also allowed to meet women, it is mentioned that he had three daughters, but a legend talks about a fourth son he had with a peasant woman, Lucia di Viadagola. Subsequent history is extremely important and interesting. The son was called Bentivoglio, from the words "Amore mio, ben ti voglio" that he said to his beloved (meaning "My love, I'm fond of you"), and he would be the ancestor of the Bentivoglio family, later rulers of Bologna. The interior of the Palace is beautiful. At the centre of the colonnaded courtyard, there is an ancient sandstone well, while on the right-hand side you will find the ancient Chapel of St. Mary of Prisoners, which was recently restored and decorated by British artist David Tremlett. On the first floor from the loggia, the Salone del Podestà is accessed through a covered passageway and a majestic solid wood door. The spacious Salone del Podestà, which was once a courtroom, was used as a Public Theatre between 1581 and 1767 (the second version of the Euridice was performed here in 1616) and later became a court for ball games. Beautiful Sala re Enzo is located on the second floor of the building and covers around 400 sqm.
