The Museo Civico Medievale in Bologna, opened in 1985, is located inside the Palazzo Ghisilardi-Fava, one of the most significant architectural testimonies of the Bolognese Renaissance. Within the rooms of this important building, works belonging to collections dating back to the 17th century have been gathered, among which stand out the collection of Marquis Cospi, a true encyclopedic summa of natural and artificial wonders, the collection of General Marsili, mainly composed of weapons, and finally the Palagi fund (1860). The works that make up the most significant core of the museum are largely testimonies of medieval Bolognese life.

Enriching the museum's collection are a wide selection of French and Italian works, precious Murano glass, a considerable number of weapons and armors, numerous and rare testimonies of courtly life in Bentivoglio. Substantial sections of the museum are dedicated to the art of Bolognese sculpture in Renaissance and Baroque bronze (model for Neptune by Giambologna, Archangel Michael by Algardi, bust of Gregory XV Ludovisi by Bernini) and to the art of Bolognese miniature, with famous examples of corals, statutes of art societies, and liturgical books dating from the 13th-16th centuries.