Bologna is the historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in the north-east of Italy and is most famous for two things. The first is its university, which is reputed to be the oldest in the world, and the second is its cuisine. It’s the city that brought us the rich bolognese pasta sauce as well as many other dishes. It’s no wonder it’s sometimes called La Grassa, or “The Fat One”. The student population gives the city a young and active character set against a backdrop of fine medieval buildings laid out in a fairly formal grid of streets and squares. Great to walk around, the area can also be seen by hiring a car from Bologna, with Rimini and the Adriatic coast only around an hour’s drive away.
The two squares Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno make up the centre of Bologna and there’s plenty going on at both of these at any time of day or night. In the centre of the latter, there’s a grand fountain featuring a statue of Neptune, a famous symbol of the city. On the south side of Piazza Maggiore, you will find the basilica of San Petronio, a church which has a number of interesting features. Considered to be one of the greatest Gothic buildings in Italy, it was originally planned to dwarf St Peter’s in Rome. However, the money and space ran out and in various places you can see aisles and facades that were started but never completed. And if you rent a car in Bologna, you can also explore its neighbouring cities or head to the Adriatic coast.
