Bologna
Bologna is best known for its food and for its politics. Today it is regarded to be one of the most attractive cities in Italy, being full of character. The beautiful city center in Bologna is well preserved and maintained. With unified architecture and marbled pavements, this charming Emilian city is well pedestrianized and easily explored by foot. In the heart of Bologna are the city's two main squares, the Piazza del Nettuno and the Piazza Maggiore. From Piazza Maggiore, most of the city's main tourist’s attractions and historical monuments are within walking distance, including the two leaning towers - the main symbols of the city, which almost seem to defy gravity. The Piazza Maggiore marks the oldest part of the city and this huge pedestrian square is surrounded by some impressive medieval and Renaissance buildings.
Bologna is also a thriving university city and the enormous University of Bologna is Europe's oldest, founded over 900 years ago. The university is an international center for academic studies, including publishing, and attracts students from all over the world. Bologna is often referred to as 'Red Bologna' as it was the first city in Italy to elect a communist town council and political views and opinions have always been important in this enchanting tourist destination. The historic city of Bologna is divided up into districts and the city center is separated from the rest of the city by large, ancient walls. Bologna does not usually suffer from crowds of tourists and so can be a welcome break after visiting busier Italian cities, such as Rome or Venice.
Discover Bologna
A cultural center full of history, architecture and traditions, the city of Bologna deserves to be appreciated for its diverse and typical look. Founded in the Roman age in the 2nd century B.C., it has always been an important trading and economic center. Bologna is a city of art, full of life, where you can spend days and nights enjoying always different and interesting cultural events, a place with many characteristics, endowed with charm and a unique atmosphere. Gourmet Bologna offers visitors alfresco dining; watch the world go by while dining on the best mortadella, pasta and chocolate. With an excellent mix of bars, restaurants and sights, no traveler visiting Bologna will be bored.
Bologna Welcome Card
The Bologna Welcome Card is valid for 48 hours and offers free entry to the permanent collection of the top 10 museum’s and other offers and discounts.
The essentials of Bologna
1) Piazza Maggiore
2) Two Towers (Due Torri)
3) Fountain of Nettuno
4) Basilica di San Petronio
5) Bologna University Quarter
Piazza Maggiore
Bologna’s beating heart is Piazza Maggiore, in the city’s old center. A classic example of Renaissance town planning, it is one of the most graceful public squares in Italy. The pedestrianized square is surrounded by the Basilica di San Petronio, the Palazzo Communale (city hall), palatial public buildings and Bologna’s trademark covered walkways ringed by arches.
Two Towers (Due Torri)
Teetering at a staggering angle, and rivaling the Leaning Tower of Pisa for gravity-defying architecture, Bologna’s Two Towers - Due Torri - are relics of the city’s war faring medieval past. Known as Garisenda and Asinelli, the towers were built to provide defensive protection, as an early-warning lookout, and to impress and outdo the neighbors.
Fountain of Neptune (Nettuno)
Sculpted by Frenchman Giambologna in 1566, the bronze statue of Neptune waving his trident aloft is a classic example of the High Mannerist art of the late Renaissance. At the base of the Neptune Fountain, or Fontana del Nettuno, in the circular pools, the four sirens spouting water from their breasts represent the four continents. Four cherubs represent the winds.
Basilica di San Petronio
Named for Bologna’s patron saint, the city’s fifth-century bishop, the Basilica di San Petronio is the world’s fifth-largest church and a fabulous example of Gothic grandeur. Construction began in 1390, but plans to enlarge the basilica were halted in the 1500s when the design threatened to overshadow that of St Peter’s in Rome. Thanks to this creative curtailment, the basilica’s facade detail remains unfinished.
Bologna University Quarter
Bologna owes much of its contemporary charm and vibrancy to its lively University Quarter. As in all good university cities, it has a good cache of cafes, bars and clubs to cater to its student population. Bologna’s university has an impressive lineage, dating back to 1088, making it the first university in Europe. The university houses a number of museums, including an Anatomy Museum, Herbarium, Physics Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Wax Museum and Museum of Zoology.
Excursions
Florence
The artistic orgy of Florence is one of the reasons why visitors to Italy have overlooked Bologna. Some 50 miles south of Bologna, just 37 minutes by train, the city lies at the heart of the Renaissance and is home to some of the world's greatest works of art, including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David and Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.
Architecturally, the gravity-defying dome of Brunelleschi's cathedral and Giotto's elegant campanile dominate the skyline, but every nook and cranny of Florence holds a surprise.
Parma
About 56 miles northwest of Bologna, Parma has given the world Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese), it’s delicious sweet cured ham, and resurgent food company Parmalat. But this prosperous, elegant city is much more than Italy's glorified larder. Parma boasts a fine musical tradition (this is Verdi country), is home to one of Italy's most important opera venues, the Regio Theatre. It also has a magnificent Romanesque Cathedral and National Gallery. Trains depart frequently for Parma from Bologna's central station every hour (journey time - about 50 minutes).