Ravishing Bologna

Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and other wonderful Italian destinations attracted a record number of visitors in 2023. Surprisingly, Bologna is less visited, less touristy, yet the most delightful city.

It is a city with four nicknames:

La grassa, the fat, referring to its cuisine

La dotta, the learned, referring to its university

La rossa, the red, referring to brick buildings topped with red terracotta tiles and left leaning politics

La turrita, the turret, referring to its iconic towers

Let’s begin with “la grassa”

A treasure trove of succulent dishes, sauces, meats and cheeses, Bologna is rightly considered to be the culinary capital of Italy. Tortellini in broth, tortellini in crema parmigiana, tagliatelle al ragu (incorrectly known as Spaghetti Bolognese worldwide), prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, balsamic vinegar from Modena, lasagna, the list goes on. The original 13th century recipe for lasagna is archived at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce!

Just off Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s central piazza since 1200, is the Quadrilatero where traders opened shops as far back as the Middle Ages. Walking these narrow streets is a seduction of the senses. Grocers offer chunks of rich Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, thin slices of prosciutto and local Pignoletto wine alongside boards of warm focaccia, lightly salty-herby mortadella and delectable balsamic vinegar.

Located in the Quadrilatero’s Mercato di Mezzo, the Osteria del Sole is renowned as the world’s oldest osteria, established in 1465. Staying true to its roots, the osteria offers just wine. You are expected to bring your own snacks which makes for a fun shopping experience. It’s quite basic, but a chance to glimpse into Bologna’s past whilst enjoying delicious food.

La dotta

Established in 1088, the University of Bologna was the first university to be established in Italy and Europe. It is the oldest continually operating university in the world. The first subject to be taught at the university was law. Why? When the University of Bologna was founded in the 11th century, the city was going through a period of expansion and great social change. Without a set of written laws, it would be impossible to resolve disputes and disagreements. The biggest controversy at the time was the one between the Roman Empire and the Papacy, as both fought for control of Italian territories. The University of Bologna became a point of reference for the study of law across Europe.

A fascinating tour is exploring the Archiginnasio Palace, the first seat of the University of Bologna, itself a living relic with a striking library, courtyard and anatomy theatre which was built in carved wood in 1637 to teach anatomy.

Portici di Bologna - Porticoes of Bologna

With 62 kilometres of porticoes, of which 42 are in the historic centre, Bologna is the most ‘arcaded’ city in the world. In 2021, the porticoes officially became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The porticoes were born out of space and social needs. As Bologna began rapidly growing in the Middle Ages as an independent comune and as the seat of the increasingly important University, it needed new residential and commercial spaces. From the first floor up, residents started to create additional space in their houses by extending the buildings outward. The ledge that was created was supported by wooden beams resting on blocks of stone, therefore creating a porticoed space below.

Construction of porticoes was standard in the Middle Ages, but they were mostly for private use. When other cities prohibited the construction of more porticoes in order to regulate community space, Bologna ordered that porticoes be built on all streets where they would be useful and that their use could be made public. The longest portico in the world is Portico di San Luca, an arched walkway almost four kilometres long with 666 arches. It was built between 1674 and 1793.

La Turrita

In the Middle Ages, Bologna had as many as 180 towers built by the wealthiest local families for both prestige and protection. Fewer than 20 towers remain, often not clearly visible, sometimes almost hidden between two buildings or much shorter than they used to be.

The leaning Garisenda Tower is now under scrutiny and its neighbour, the Asinelli Tower, is temporarily closed to visitors eager to climb its 498 steps. The Asinelli family built it between 1109 and 1119. During World War II, volunteers would stand at the top to direct rescue operations to places that had been bombed. Both towers lean.

The Garisenda Tower lost 12 metres off its height shortly after construction because of structural failures that caused it to lean dangerously. The Asinelli Tower is the highest leaning medieval tower in Italy, 40 metres higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Fontana di Nettuno - the Fountain of Neptune

A popular meeting point since 1566 is the Fountain of Neptune. Pope Pius IV decided to give the Bolognese something they did not have - a public fountain. Was it a gesture of goodwill? Not really. After being an independent Comune during the High Middle Ages, in 1508 Bologna became subjected to the Papal States. The gift was to make sure the people of Bologna knew who was in charge.

The statue of Neptune is nearly four metres high and weighs 2,200 kilos. Despite being commissioned by the church, the statue is anything but religious. To begin with, it represents a pagan god, Neptune. Once unveiled, Neptune, so muscular and manly, was considered too sexy. The four sensual sea nymphs sitting at the foot of the statue squeeze water out of their breasts.

Fun fact:

The trident logo of Maserati, the luxury sports car company founded in Bologna in 1914, is based on the trident of Neptune. This was considered particularly appropriate, not just because the Neptune Fountain is one of the main symbols of Bologna, but also because Neptune represents strength and vigor.

Little Venice in Bologna

Once upon a time there were many waterways that crossed the city. Today they are all covered. However, find the little window on Via Piella, open it and you’ll see one of the few stretches of running water that was not covered over between the beginning of the 20th century and the postwar period.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb