Bologna Names Piazza After Lucio Dalla, Opens July 9

Bologna will inaugurate Piazza Lucio Dalla on July 9, 2022, the first Italian square named after the singer-songwriter a decade after his death. The covered piazza, nearly 6,000 square meters under the Nervi canopy in the Bolognina district, will host the DiMondi festival as part of Bologna Estate until late October. Mayor Matteo Lepore called it a 'new Piazza Grande' for music, culture, sport, and inclusion. The project is funded by the Ministry of Culture's special initiative for metropolitan cities, supporting performing arts in peripheral areas. Cultural delegate Elena Di Gioia described it as Bologna's first outdoor cultural square. Summer activities are managed by historic live club Estragon, which won a public tender. Estragon's Lele Roveri said DiMondi means 'a lot' in Bolognese dialect, featuring world music acts like Eugenio Bennato and Têtes de Bois, plus performances, book presentations, and a skate park. The piazza aims to be a gathering place from morning to night, with free cultural offerings and a focus on social inclusion.