Exploring Bologna, Italy
Are you bored of very touristic places, but you still desperately look for historical and memorable places where to go? Then try to travel to Bologna in Italy, which will definitely fulfill all of your requests.
Bologna is the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region in the Northern part of the country. It was established approximately in 6th century B.C. by the Etrusks, but it became more important when the region control was taken over by the Romans, who made Bologna into a flourishing city of business. The turning point in Bologna´s history was the establishment of its university in 1088. This university is considered to be the oldest one in Europe.
Bologna has not lost anything from its famous history even nowadays. If you want to visit this town, it is better to come during the university's semester period, when the town is occupied by Italian and international students enjoying the life on the streets. During the summer, all students return to their homes and the city is strangely empty and without a life.
Bologna is mostly famous because of its towers, which are hidden around the city. In the past, the rich families of Bologna were fighting amongs themselves about “who can built the highest tower”. Easily whoever had the tallest tower in the city won. Unfortunately, the Emilia-Romagna region was frequently hit by earthquakes, which destroyed a lot of towers and stopped the battle between the families. After all, only twenty towers remained of the original one hundred. Nowadays, there are two most visited towers in the city called “Due Torri”. These towers are special, because they are more slanting than the Leaning Tower in Pisa. It really is worth it to climb on one of them and enjoy the picturesque view of the “orange” city; which is orange because of the brick houses and roofs. And on the way back, you can try the best gelato in the city, which is located right under the towers on the square.
During a day, as a tourist, you definitely need to see Piazza Maggiore in the downtown center. You can find there the Gothic basilica of San Petronio, which was built in 1390. It is 132 meter long and 69 meters wide. It is the fifth biggest church in the world and every little space of the church will astonish you. But, be careful, if you go there, you must be adequately dressed! After San Petronio, the best way to spend your time in Bologna is to go to the Piazza Santo Stefano. At this square, you can find a world unique complex of seven roman churches originally built in the 5th century A.C. When you are tired of the city and churches, go for a walk to hill Monte della Guardia, which is 300 meters above the city. On the top of this hill, you can find, not only a special view, but also the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca. The road to the hill is special by itself, because to get to the hill, you will need to go under a monumental roofed arcade, which is 3, 8 km long and consisted of 666 arches. You can´t find anything similar in the world.
If you prefer visiting a city in the evening, go to the Piazza Verdi, which is very close to the university. This square is a meeting point for all students, who just sit on the ground and talk a lot. It is prohibited to drink an alcohol outside of the bars, but it does not stop the students! If you are sitting on the square, after a while you are reached by a person who asks you if you want to buy a beer. The answer is up to you.
After this experience of disobeying the town´s bans, it is better to calm down and go enjoy another little bit of the Italian culture. If the weather is good, try visiting the summer cinemas, which are almost at all squares and they are for free. The most famous and biggest one is in Piazza Maggiore. If you are unlucky with the weather, visit a typical Italian opera in the Teatro Communal.
