Postcard from Bologna, Italy: Knockers and Locks

The ancient, massive, carriage-size doors – so heavy that smaller pedestrian entrances often are cut into them – of Bologna’s numerous palaces require substantial knockers. As architectural details throughout the city reflect, residents value form as much as function.

Here are a few of the imaginative knockers and locks, some threatening in order to dissuade evil spirits from crossing thresholds, encountered during our wanderings.