Piazza Maggiore has been the heart of Bologna since the thirteenth century, when the city flattened entire blocks of houses to create a stage large enough for the new commune to govern itself in public. The square is framed by Palazzo d'Accursio on the west, Palazzo del Podestà on the north, Palazzo dei Banchi on the east, and the unfinished basilica of San Petronio to the south.
In summer the city sets up a screen in front of the basilica and runs free open-air film screenings — the Cinema Ritrovato festival of restored film. The rest of the year the piazza is simply where Bolognese sit on the steps of the Crescentone, the slightly raised platform in the centre, and watch the city pass.