Bologna

💡 About Bologna

Bologna, the capital of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, is celebrated by three affectionate nicknames: "la Dotta" (the Learned), for its university; "la Grassa" (the Fat), for its extraordinary food; and "la Rossa" (the Red), for its terracotta rooftops and its left-wing politics. It is one of Italy's most livable and least touristy great cities.

Home to the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088, Bologna has been a centre of learning for nearly a thousand years, and its streets still hum with a youthful, intellectual energy. Two leaning medieval towers rise above the city, survivors of the dozens that once bristled across the skyline.

Bologna is the culinary capital of a region that gave the world some of Italy's greatest foods — tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar all come from here or nearby. Eating in Bologna is a serious and joyful business.

Remarkably, nearly 40 kilometres of elegant porticoes shelter the city's pavements, a UNESCO-listed feature unique to Bologna. Warm, red-hued and gastronomically blessed, it is the beating heart of Italy that many visitors overlook.

⭐ Known For