Places to see in Bologna, Italy, with photos of Bologna.

The Italian city of Bologna is an interesting place to visit. The city has beautiful architecture and has some great places to eat Italian food and drink Italian wine, it also has a wonderful selection of shops and the city is big enough to make exploring it on a second visit worthwhile.

Bologna was once famous for the number of towers that the city had. The height of the tower you owned was seen as a sign of your wealth and power in this city in the past. At one time the number of towers in the city was said to have been over 180 (but there are doubts about the way they were counted) but there were certainly many more than the twenty that still exist today.

Two of the most easily found of the remaining towers are situated near the main shopping area. One of these two leaning towers is open to the tourists to buy a ticket and climb up the stairs to be rewarded by an amazing view out over the city from the top of the tower. I suppose it is a good way to walk of some of the calories from the delicious breakfast of cappuccino and pastries or the indulgence of too many experiments with the many delicious flavours of Italian ice-cream - gelato available here.

If you like to shop here you will find some fine shops ranging from stylish department stores through to the very top of designer labels. It is fun to window shop even if you cannot buy the clothes and shoes in the wonderful displays of fashion that the Italians are so good at putting together. If strolling through street markets is more to your liking this too if on offer. Here too on almost every street there are temptations from bakeries, coffee bars and ice cream parlours. A slice of pizza can always be bought as a quick take away snack, that is if the local mcdonalds fails to tempt you away from the delights of Italian food.

This elegant and spacious main square is visited by tourist from all over the world but it is also popular with the local and the Italian visitors to this bustling city. This area is the oldest part of the city and it is not far from the towers Asinelli and Garisenda ( the two leaning towers) which are a popular place to visit while in the city.

Neptune's fountain is close by with its controversial water features and bronze statue of Neptune which it is said that the Pope of the day objected to and therefore minor adjustments where made to the anatomy of Neptune.

Close to Piazza Maggiore is the library when inside this building you can look down through the see-thru floor to see some of remains of the city.

While you are in this part of Bologna take a few moments to look at the memorial outside the library which as well as remembering the citizens of Bologna lost in war also has a section commemorative of the tragic loss of life at the Central Railway Station (August 1980) in which eighty-five people died and more than two hundred people were injured. Looking at the photos in this place of those lost both to war and in this later incident is sad and poignant but it is a very dignified and touching memorial to the people whose photos are there and for their families too.

When you have travelled on trains in Italy you then realise that by the incident happening on a Saturday morning (2nd August 1980) the station would have been busy with families and tourists travelling at that time. The age of those lost that day are from six years old to eighty-six years old. The railway station has a clock that remains set at the time of the tragedy 10.25.

Bologna has a rich history that is evident in the architecture of the city, here you can walk beneath the covered walkways which are often referred to as arcades what they really are is porticoes and they developed in the city in response to a need in the past to fit more housing in the city. A portico began as an extension at an upper level out above the street below. it has been developed in this city to an extent that makes worth taking note of as your explore the streets.

If you visit the older parts of this city you can see the portico in its early stages of development, walk to another area of the city and you will see how it became something which above you displays the love of the Italians for making something functional into something decorative and attractive.

To see some fine examples of decorated porticoes make your way to Piazza Cavour and remember to take your camera with you.

A short walk from the Piazza Maggiore this covered walk way is an excellent place to window shop, the shops here are elegant and tastefully dressed, with the latest fashions that Italian men and women love to wear. As you stroll beneath the porticoes here, do not forget to glance up above you, as some will stop you in your tracks and make you reach for your camera to capture a memento of the way they are embellished with fascinating paintings.

While here you can visit the the Archiginnasio which is part of Europe's oldest university, and also the Teatro Anatomico which is mentioned in more detail elsewhere on this page.

It seems that we are not the only generation to find entertainment in the macabre, within the ancient walls of the famous Teatro Anatomica the citizens of Bologna would watch dissections take place, alongside them were the students of anatomy who were studying at the famous University of Bologna.

The Teatro Anatomica is well worth a visit the architecture of the place is fascinating as are the wooden statues that grace this famous place. The table in the centre of the room where the dissections took place is a marble slab and there are wooden seats all around staged as in a theatre so as to give a good view. Scholars from all over the continents came here to study at the famous University of Bologna, their heraldic shields decorate the walls of the walkways as you walk to the Teatro Anatomica. You will find useful guide books available in different languages.

Be aware that most places like this one close at lunch time in Italy. The Italians like to make the most of their meal times so many places close for the staff to go home or out to dine for lunch.

Education - The University of Bologna is the oldest university in Europe, it was established in the eleventh century (1088). The university is still famous it is said to be one of the top fifty universities.

Food - The famous Bolognese - Ragu is usually served with tagliatelle. Somehow the rest of the world seems to think that it is Bolognese sauce and spaghetti that Bologna is famous for but in the restaurants of Bologna the dish on the menu is Ragu with tagliatelle along with many other splendid local and Italian dishes. Bologna is renowned for its culinary tradition the local cuisine is rich and relies heavily on meats and cheeses in the preparation of its local culinary delights.

Bologna is famous for many things, it also has nicknames that refer to some of the things it is famous for. Bologna is sometimes called 'La Dotta' from its famous university as 'La Dotta' is said to mean "the learned one". 'La Grassa' 'the fat one' is sometimes used to refer to the rich food there.

Bologna is also famous for being the city of the towers, some of which can still be seen and are still in use. The medieval towers,

These two towers Asinelli and Garisenda stand side by side in the centre of Bologna.

The taller tower is called the Asinelli tower, while the smaller one that leans most is called the Garisenda tower.

Garisenda Tower today is 48 metres to begin with it was 60 metres high but in the 14th century it became dangerous and had to be lowered.

I think this city is and interesting a wonderful place to explore as it offers the old and the new side by side. Couples who like discovering the history of a place will enjoy exploring the older parts of the city, but this place is also vibrant from the presence of the young people who come here to attend the university courses. There is one group of tourists that might be better visiting a quieter location in Italy and that is families on holiday with young children but then they might find any city less enjoyable than a countryside or coastal location. If you do travel to Bologna, be aware of the temperatures in Italian cities in the summer months, although the hotels and restaurants will usually have the benefit of air conditioning, walking to and from your hotel can be tiring in the city centre the porticoes/arcades of Bologna provide a welcome respite from the heat of the summer sun.