Bologna is famous for its cuisine (la cucina Bolognese), and is considered by Italians to be the nation's food capital. It is also viewed as a progressive and well administered city. It is considered second only to Venice in beauty by many Italians and certainly has one of the largest and best preserved historic centres among Italian cities. It is much loved for its architecture, especially its palette of terracotta reds, burnt oranges, and warm yellows, hence the name of Bologna la rossa (Bologna the red). The extensive town center, characterized by miles upon miles of attractive covered walkways known as "porticos", is one of the best-preserved in Europe.
Bologna is a lived-in, stress free, and prosperous North Italian city, noted by locals for the fact that it has not been ruined by mass international tourism though Italian tourists flock here during the main holidays. In recent years, though, the city has grown more popular with overseas travelers. It is an excellent destination for a few days' stopover between Milan or Venice and Florence, especially if you like good food!
PLACE TO VISIT
Piazza Maggiore - Large pedestrian square located in the monumental center of the old part of the city, surrounded by the Basilica of San Petronio, the City Hall Building, the portico dei Banchi and the Palazzo del Podestà.
Via Rizzoli - One of the main streets of Bologna. It is a meeting point and strolling area. It opens up to Piazza di porta Ravegnana, where the two towers rise.
Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) - Piazza del Nettuno. A fountain built in 1563 by Tommaso Laureti of Palermo later embellished by Jean de Boulogne (called Giambologna). It is considered to be one of Bologna’s symbols.
Corte de' Galluzzi - It can be accessed through a vault from Piazza Galvani, in front of the Archiginnasio. An area with strong Medieval tones.
Portico Walk to San Luca - Walk through the historic 666 Porticos, leaving from the Porta Saragozza at the end of Via Saragozza.
Torre degli Asinelli (Tower of the Asinelli) and Torre dei Garisenda (Tower of the Garisenda) - Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. The main symbols of Bologna. Torre degli Asinelli (built between 1109 and 1119) is 97.20 metres tall (330 feet), with 498 steps and an incline of 1.3 meters (4 feet). Torre dei Garisenda (closed to the public)is 47 m (162 feet) tall and has a lean of over 3m (10 feet).
Palazzo Comunale - Bologna's city hall, with a very rich collection of Renaissance paintings, sculptures and antique furniture, is a 14th-century palace. Don't miss its enormous main staircase, which was designed to be used by horse drawn carriages. Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00 children under 14 get free admission.
Tombe dei Glossatori (The Glossatori tombs) - Piazza San Domenico e Piazza Malpighi. Named for the lawyers who used to add glosses (notes) to documents. The tombs, which date from the end of the 13th century, are home to many of Bologna's famous scholars.
Santuario della Madonna di San Luca (St. Luke's Basilica) - Colle della Guardia (Guardia hill). Built in mid-18th century, offers a panoramic view of the City, and can be reached by walking along] the 666 arches of its unique portico. It has a peculiar layout, being of a round shape. A widely city-known icon, the Madonna di San Luca, is held there.
I Portici (The Arcades) - Visitors can walk under the typical arcades of Bologna for a total of 38 km. The Portici were originally built by order of the town authorities to house temporary visitors. They had to be wide enough that a man could lie down under them to sleep.
Basilica of San Petronio - The Basilica houses an invaluable number of treasures such as the sundial by Cassini and Guglielmini, which indicates the exact period of the current year at all times, the "S. Rocco" by Parmigianino and the marvelous Bolognini Chapel. From the left nave of the basilica, the visitor can gain access to the Museum where many bas-reliefs are collected.
The Lamborghini Museum - this famous car maker in Italy has been producing some of the most sought-after luxury sports cars in the world for decades. There is a bus you can take from Bologna to the center of Sant’Agata Bolognese, which is a five minute walk from the museum location.
Giardini Margherita (Margherita Gardens) - Viale Gozzadini. Bologna's main park created in 1875. The chalet converts to a nightclub in the summer evenings. Open: daily 06:00 to midnight.
Orto Botanico (Botanical Gardens) - Created in the mid-16th century for medicinal herbs. Currently the second largest park in the city the Botanical gardens are home to over 5,000 plant species. Some of the highlights include a full-grown sequoia, and a greenhouse for cacti and carnivorous plants.
Villa delle Rose - Donated to the city in 1916, the gardens were originally owned by the Cella family. The 18th-century Villa delle Rose, which was the Cella's residence, hosts art exhibitions throughout the year. Open: Tuesday to Sunday 15:00 to 19:00.
Archaeological Museum - This building, an old hospital, houses a comprehensive collection of antiquities including Egyptian civilization (mummies and sarcophagi), iron age Villanova culture, artifacts from Etruscan Velzna, funerary art, terracotta urns, ancient vases and items from Roman times. Do not miss the bronze Certosa jar which is over 1,500 years old.
National Picture Gallery - Containing the city's most important art, it offers an interesting panorama of the Emilian and Venetian painting from the XIII to the XVIII century. A must: the works by Giotto, Raffaello, Parmigianino (Madonna col Bambino/Virgin Mary with Baby and the Saints Margaret, Girolamo and Petronio), Perugino, Tiziano and Tintoretto.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Bologna's closest airport is Guglielmo Marconi (Bologna) International Airport, just a few minutes from the city center, served by taxi and a special bus line called the Aerobus. A taxi from the airport to the center costs about €15. An Aerobus Ticket costs €5, and it stops outside the main terminus building. Bus 54 goes towards the west suburbs of Bologna, and will get you on to the 'main' routes.
By train - Due to its central location and geography, Bologna has emerged as the main rail transport hub of northern Italy, making it very well-connected with other major Italian centers. From the 14th of December 2008 the new high speed railway line is available from/to Milan, shortening the journey to 65 minutes. Bologna is also 37 minutes from Florence, 2 hours 20 from Rome, 2 hours from Venice, 1 hour from Ferrara, etc. The new high speed train line between Rome and Bologna is now being fully available and can make many trips much faster.
By car - The city is at the junction of the A1, A14 and A13 highways, and so is easily accessible from anywhere in Italy. Most traffic from Milan would exit the A1 and take the Tangenziale, but beware this road at rush hour because it is horrendously packed. Expect to use 2 hours from the A1 exit to the Tangenziale to the center at certain peak times over summer busy weekends, especially at the beginning and end of August.
