The monumental complex of San Michele in Bosco, original location of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, lays on a hill not far from Bologna. In 1890, when the works to adapt the ancient monastery to the hospital requirements were still in progress, a park surrounding the healthcare facility was created on the hill.

Today, that park is back to its original beauty and has been returned, as a public park, to the city of Bologna. The Del Monte Foundation played a great role in the renewal of the park, as in 2007 charged the Villa Ghigi Foundation with projecting and achieving the restoration of the green area (around 6,5 hectares). From June 29th, 2010, day of the inauguration, San Michele in Bosco was back to being an actual public park.

Today, meadows and clearings meet the wood with a romantic style, following the original design of the park. The panoramic boulevard, which starts from via Codivilla, reaching the city of Belvedere and ending in front of the San Michele church, was restored together with the selenite path alongside the hill’s slope. The wood was cured, with a particular attention to some valuable trees, and a few “break areas” were prepared, recovering furniture and benches from the period.

Thanks to this “green covering” improvement, we can enjoy again the well-known view on Bologna from Belvedere, acclaimed by famous personalities from various centuries. Stendhal, for example, during his stay in Bologna in 1817 wrote about San Michele in Bosco: “Lay down under the majestic oaks and enjoy in silence one of the most vast view in the world”.