Bologna
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Bologna lies at the very heart of life in Emilia Romagna; a beautiful regional capital that packs a heavy punch with its medieval porticoes, piazzas bursting with life and a gastronomic culture the envy of the world.
Occupying an area just to the north of the Apennine Mountains at the edge of the Po Valley, Bologna is flanked to its east and west by fellow provincial capitals such as the historic cities of Modena and Ravenna while a short distance to its north east is UNESCO-listed Ferrara. |
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This is an area particularly rich in medieval architecture and Bologna's extraordinary 38 kilometres of covered streets are just one such example.
From Piazza Maggiore in the city centre you only need to tip your head slightly skywards to find more dramatic examples of Medieval construction such as the Due Torri (Two Towers), Bologna's own leaning towers. For those energetic and courageous enough, a great starting point for any tour of Bologna is one these towers, the Asinelli Tower which is the taller of the two and affords an extravagant view of the city and its layout. From this lofty perch you can pick out the Via dell'Indipendenza which leads from the train station at the city's edge right into its central piazzas, Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno. Other visible sights include the eye-catching dome of the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita and the cavernous Basilica di San Petronio, one of the ten largest churches in the world.
Not everyone plans their holiday around gastronomy but many of those that do make a bee-line for Bologna. The city's culinary delights are among the most celebrated in the world with famous dishes such as Lasagne and emanating from here and the vast local production of Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese) Mortadella (a type of pork sausage) and Prosciutto Parmigiano (Parma Ham). It can often come as a shock how little "Spaghetti Bolognese" is to be found in the city - instead of spaghetti the favoured pasta to be eaten with the meat sauce Ragù is in fact Tagliatelle or another Bologna favourite, Tortellini which is usually eaten with a broth.
Despite the city's medieval architecture and roots, Bologna retains a youthful exuberance which is partly thanks to its University; established in 1088 making it the longest continuously operative in the world, providing another interesting contrast between the old and new. During the summer there are festivals held in the city centre and throughout the year rock bands play gigs at various venues in and around the city.
Nowhere is Bologna's exuberance more greatly demonstrated than on its unique network of porticoed streets. The first of these covered walkways were introduced to the city around the 13th century and there are still some examples of these wooden structures standing today. A century later and having received wide-ranging acclaim, an edict was passed that all new streets in the city had to be covered with the porticoes, made out of brick or stone and tall enough to accommodate riders on horseback. The seemingly endless archways of these walkways with their autumnal-coloured plaster work of reds, ambers and oranges are a defining feature of Bologna and of the Emilia Romagna region as a whole.
Away from the medieval centre there's a more modern aspect to the architecture; one reason for this is the heavy bombardment that Bologna suffered during World War Two, particularly during during 1943 when successive Allied bombing raids devastated almost half of the city. Nearly 50 years later in 1980 the city suffered perhaps its greatest tragedy when a Neo-Fascist terror organisation planted a bomb at Bologna Central train station killing 85 people and wounding a further 200. A memorial now stands in the station at the point where the bomb was detonated.
The same Stazione Centrale is still the city's main transport hub, connecting it to the other major cities in the region and further afield with high-speed services available. By road Bologna sits along A14 motorway linking it to the region's fellow provincial capitals of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Ravenna, Forlì and Cesena while Ferrara to the north is connected by the A13. Bologna also has its own airport called Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport with a wide range of international destinations serviced. There are various ways of getting around the city itself including a Metro Railway system, buses and trams.
From Piazza Maggiore in the city centre you only need to tip your head slightly skywards to find more dramatic examples of Medieval construction such as the Due Torri (Two Towers), Bologna's own leaning towers. For those energetic and courageous enough, a great starting point for any tour of Bologna is one these towers, the Asinelli Tower which is the taller of the two and affords an extravagant view of the city and its layout. From this lofty perch you can pick out the Via dell'Indipendenza which leads from the train station at the city's edge right into its central piazzas, Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno. Other visible sights include the eye-catching dome of the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita and the cavernous Basilica di San Petronio, one of the ten largest churches in the world.
Not everyone plans their holiday around gastronomy but many of those that do make a bee-line for Bologna. The city's culinary delights are among the most celebrated in the world with famous dishes such as Lasagne and emanating from here and the vast local production of Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese) Mortadella (a type of pork sausage) and Prosciutto Parmigiano (Parma Ham). It can often come as a shock how little "Spaghetti Bolognese" is to be found in the city - instead of spaghetti the favoured pasta to be eaten with the meat sauce Ragù is in fact Tagliatelle or another Bologna favourite, Tortellini which is usually eaten with a broth.
Despite the city's medieval architecture and roots, Bologna retains a youthful exuberance which is partly thanks to its University; established in 1088 making it the longest continuously operative in the world, providing another interesting contrast between the old and new. During the summer there are festivals held in the city centre and throughout the year rock bands play gigs at various venues in and around the city.
Nowhere is Bologna's exuberance more greatly demonstrated than on its unique network of porticoed streets. The first of these covered walkways were introduced to the city around the 13th century and there are still some examples of these wooden structures standing today. A century later and having received wide-ranging acclaim, an edict was passed that all new streets in the city had to be covered with the porticoes, made out of brick or stone and tall enough to accommodate riders on horseback. The seemingly endless archways of these walkways with their autumnal-coloured plaster work of reds, ambers and oranges are a defining feature of Bologna and of the Emilia Romagna region as a whole.
Away from the medieval centre there's a more modern aspect to the architecture; one reason for this is the heavy bombardment that Bologna suffered during World War Two, particularly during during 1943 when successive Allied bombing raids devastated almost half of the city. Nearly 50 years later in 1980 the city suffered perhaps its greatest tragedy when a Neo-Fascist terror organisation planted a bomb at Bologna Central train station killing 85 people and wounding a further 200. A memorial now stands in the station at the point where the bomb was detonated.
The same Stazione Centrale is still the city's main transport hub, connecting it to the other major cities in the region and further afield with high-speed services available. By road Bologna sits along A14 motorway linking it to the region's fellow provincial capitals of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Ravenna, Forlì and Cesena while Ferrara to the north is connected by the A13. Bologna also has its own airport called Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport with a wide range of international destinations serviced. There are various ways of getting around the city itself including a Metro Railway system, buses and trams.
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Category: Major Cities of Italy
Region: Capital of Emilia Romagna Regional district: Metropolitan City of Bologna Population: 390,636 Top sights: Basilica di San Petronio, Two Towers, Piazza Maggiore Recommended accommodation: Air Hotel Commercianti Close by: Dozza, Imola, Vignola, Modena, Faenza, Brisighella |
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Public transport: Metro, trams, buses
By car: Ravenna - 1 hour (78 km), Florence - 1 hour 25' (105 km) |
By air: Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport - 17 mins by car (9 km)
Main train station: Bologna Centrale (1.5 km to Piazza Maggiore) |
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