Ducati Is Turning This Entire Iconic Italian City Into Its 100th Anniversary ExhibitionRideApartinfo@rideapart.com (Enrico Punsalang)Tue, September 15, 2026 at 1:12 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleDucati Is Turning This Entire Iconic Italian City Into Its 100th Anniversary ExhibitionApparently, blowing out 100 candles wasn't dramatic enough, so Ducati decided to take over Bologna instead.Ducati turns 100 this year, and apparently a cake, some balloons, and an awkward corporate speech weren't going to cut it. Instead, the Italian motorcycle maker is effectively turning large chunks of Bologna into one massive Ducati exhibition for a full month. Honestly, if any motorcycle company was going to celebrate a century by making an entire city participate, Ducati was probably at the top of the list.The celebration began on September 4 and is already in progress, with five locations across Bologna hosting different parts of Ducati's history through October 5. Salaborsa, Palazzo Pepoli, Galleria Cavour 1959, Palazzo Boncompagni, and Renato Dall'Ara Stadium are each getting their own slice of the celebration, covering everything from motorcycles and factory photography to design, archival material, racing, and art.And Ducati isn't bringing out anything boring.Ducati Is Turning This Entire Iconic Italian City Into Its 100th Anniversary ExhibitionBecause DucatiDucati Just Debuted a Supermoto With Desmo450 SM. We're All Going To JailDucati's 1,000cc MotoGP Race Bike Is Living On Borrowed Time. But That Was Always the PlanAdvertisementAdvertisementSalaborsa is displaying the Superleggera V4 Centenario, which Ducati itself calls its most extreme road motorcycle ever, alongside photography shot inside the factory. Palazzo Boncompagni gets bikes from Ducati's Collezione 100, pairing modern machines with the historic models and liveries that inspired them.Then there's the soccer stadium, because apparently motorcycles inside museums still weren't enough. Renato Dall'Ara Stadium is displaying Ducati race machinery during two Bologna FC matches, including the Desmosedici GP and Panigale V4 R. Again, there will be Superleggera V4 Centenario models on display, just in case watching professional soccer somehow wasn't Italian enough already.The takeover stretches beyond those five venues, too. Hotels, shops, and bistros around Bologna's historic center are joining the celebrations throughout September, with Ducati saying the idea is to "color Bologna red." The whole thing wraps up on October 4 in Borgo Panigale, when the Ducati Museum opens its doors to the public.Ducati Is Turning This Entire Iconic Italian City Into Its 100th Anniversary ExhibitionSo, if you happen to be in Bologna right now, this isn't a future event to put on your calendar. It's already taking over the city. You can currently find Ducati motorcycles, racing history, design, and archival material spread across some of Bologna's most recognizable locations.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt's wildly excessive, sure. But Ducati has been tied to Bologna since 1926, so turning the city into a sprawling birthday exhibit makes a strange amount of sense. Besides, when you've spent 100 years building motorcycles that routinely prioritize drama over restraint, suddenly discovering subtlety at your centenary would probably be weirder.Source: Ducati