Known affectionately as "La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa" – or in English: "The Learned, The Fat, The Red" – Bologna is a Tuscan tourist hotspot. It’s colourful nickname, which has been around for centuries, refers to its most inviting qualities: "The fat" (for the cuisine), "the learned" (for the university), and "the red" for the colour of the buildings (although this also refers to the "red" political thought widely spread amongst the city's population).
Bologna was recommended to me by my Dad (shout-out to Dad!) who still has fond memories of his visit there years before, and wanted me to check it out. I’m glad I did, it’s definitely a place with a character of its own - a buzz that was infectious. In this post I’ll explore each of these special characteristics and give you a quick insight into the city's many delights.
I travelled to Bologna on my own, Darryl being busy in Germany at the time, which was an easy day trip from my base in Pistoia. If you've watched some of our videos or heard our Travel Tips & Tricks podcast, you’ll know that we are big fans of the Italian train service. The trains are clean, comfortable, reliable and easy to use. The trip from Pistoia was a lovely hour or so passing through the beautiful Tuscan countryside.
Compared to cars and airplanes, trains emit between 66 and 75 percent less carbon.
Once I got to Bologna I was honestly a little confused in the first few minutes. It didn’t look terribly exciting at all. Turns out I had exited through the back-door, so to speak - and was heading into the more mundane looking suburbs rather than the old town. Fortunately Google Maps put me right pretty quickly. Once I’d turned in the right direction, the historical city centre was only a short walk from the station.
The first settlements of Bologna date back to at least the 1st millennium BC. Established by the Etruscans over 2,000 years ago, Bologna has seen the rise and fall of empires, from the Romans to the Renaissance. Its strategic location along trade routes made it an important urban centre, prosperous in commerce and culture. In the Middle Ages it was a free municipality and in the sixteenth century it became the Northern capital of the Papal State.
Straight away I found my first example of ‘The Red’ in architectural form - the ruins of a 14th century Castello di Galliera (Galliera Castle). Originally built to house the pope and his court, it was later destroyed by mobs. The remaining castle walls are now respectfully allowed to just ‘be’ while life carries on around them. I love thinking about all the many folks throughout the centuries who have buzzed around the stone as it slowly succumbs to nature. Strictly speaking, I think I'd classify this weathered wall as more of an orange colour - but along with the tones of terracotta, saffron and pumpkin shown in most Bolognese buildings, I am happy to widen my definition of ‘red’.
The castle ruins lie at the entrance to Parco della Montagnola which was first opened to the public in 1664, though it was mostly undeveloped until the end of the 18th century when the Napoleonic rulers redesigned it. A wide staircase, which would have been spectacular in its time, leads up to the park while offering a great view of the city. The stairs are decorated by sculptures and statues inspired by the history of Bologna, and on the other side of the park is a statue commemorating the land as the site of the "Battle of Montagnola". It was here that on 8 August 1848, Italian revolutionaries from Bologna defeated and temporarily expelled the Austrians.
On a summer day I am sure the park would be a great place to relax and enjoy the sunshine, but if I’m completely honest, when I visited everything looked a little run down. It probably didn’t help that I was a tad off-season, it being a chilly day in February.
But while I was chilly, I wasn’t in danger of getting wet, as I was soon to come across one of the unique architectural features of Bologna - the porticoes (sidewalks covered with archways). No other city in the world has as many porticoes as Bologna: all together, they reach up to 53 kilometres (33 mi) if you include those outside the mediaeval city walls. Within the historical centre you can walk the entire way around in the rain, without getting wet, as all the streets are linked by the porticoes.
The porticoes of Bologna were built almost spontaneously, probably in the early Middle Ages, with the first historical evidence dated 1041. They started as upper story porches on houses trying to expand their living areas, then over the years people kept increasing their size of their porches until it became necessary to build support columns to stop them from collapsing, and this is what created the arches.
As the city continued to grow in the following centuries, due to the large influx of students and scholars at the University of Bologna, the city council decided that all new houses had to be built with a portico, while those already existing that did not have one were required to add it. During all the Middle Ages, the arcades were made of wood, then following a decree issued in 1568 they were rebuilt with bricks or stones.
Walking through them really is quite special, there’s a sense of being part of a gathered community somehow, just by adding that feeling of being ‘inside’ while you’re ‘outside’. Having said that, some of the streets were showing the signs of the economic struggles most of urban Europe has suffered from lately. Like any large city, Bologna has its rough spots, and the first few streets I headed down featured quite a few closed-down stores that had been tagged or graffitied. Later on I got to see some excellent examples of street art, but my first encounters weren’t quite so polished.
On the way to the city centre I also encountered a large market place that was spread out over a number of blocks. It was huge and it was packed. Turns out I had stumbled across La Piazzolla Markets, which have been operating since 1251 when they began as a livestock market. There are more than 400 stalls where you can find everything, from banal to the extravagant. Locals and tourists alike were enjoying the range which covered food, clothing, crafts, bric-a-brac, you name it. If you’re looking for a bargain and interested in supporting local tradespeople, I recommend you check it out. The markets run every Friday and Saturday (8 am-5 pm).
The markets were also the first place I encountered the crowds, and they certainly weren’t the last. The closer I got to the city centre, the bigger the buzz of people. Follow the buzz and you’ll reach the hive of activity: the Piazza Maggiore.
The centuries-old square remains the heart of the city, an open space for the community. The square was built in 1200, when the Municipality wanted to bring together city activities (exchanges, trade and services) into one central place. It's a place with a fabulous atmosphere: a great space just to sit, people watch or enjoy the many street performers, surrounded by the beautiful ‘red’ architecture, including the Basilica of San Petronio, the Palazzo dei Notai, the Palazzo d’Accursio, the Palazzo del Podestà and the Palazzo dei Banchi.
Of course ‘red’ refers not just to the buildings, but to the reputation of the locals to be ‘red’ in their political swing. Bologna has been left-leaning almost as long as it's been a city. During the Holy Roman Empire, it was a free commune. From the 12th century onwards, it began to expand and became an industrial hub, giving rise to workers' movements. Bologna then played a very important role during the Risorgimento (meaning “Rising Again”), the movement for Italian unification that ended in the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. And during the Second World War, it was one of the hubs of the Resistance. After the Second World War it was governed almost continuously by left-wing administrations.
Aspects of its ‘red’ culture can be seen today in its street art and a lively student protest culture. I wandered around the student district and was delighted to find plenty of anti-establishment graffiti of varying styles. When you visit you will get your own unique exhibition - the city’s street art is constantly changing and being painted over, making it a living canvas for expression.
The day I was there I was also fortunate to see a model of local expression through protest. I can’t tell you if the demonstrators and their gathering identify as ‘red’ politically, but I can attest that their peaceful demonstration was well managed in between the swirl of tourists and Saturday shoppers.
They stood outside one example of The Learned character of Bologna: the Biblioteca Salaborsa. I wandered into this public library not knowing what to expect and got a very pleasant surprise to find a beautiful space built to serve the community in true ‘learned’ fashion.
The library was opened in 2001, but the building it resides in, Palazzo d'Accursio, is far older. The ruins, on which the site was built, include remains from the ancient city of Bononia, which dates back to 189 BC. Apparently these ruins are visible through the crystal floor in the centre of the library where you can look straight into the archaeological site. And the ancient ruins are also accessible from the basement floor, where there is information about them. Sadly, I didn’t know this when I visited the library, so I missed out! Guided tours of the ruins have to be booked in advance, and only take place on Friday afternoons at 5.30pm. You can book in person at the library at the information point, or phone in advance the number listed on their website.
Just outside the library is the fabulous Fontana del Nettuno (or Fountain of Neptune, 1565). This intriguing design is made of local boulder and covered by marble from Verona. There are pontifical emblems, cherubs, dolphins (which represent rivers from the then-known corners of the world: the Ganges, the Nile, the Amazon, and the Danube) and breast-embracing Nereids (sea-nymphs). Presiding over it all, Neptune raises his hand to placate the waves. This is said to symbolise the power of Pope Pius IV: just as Neptune was the master of the seas, the Pope was the master of Bologna and the world.
And the world kept pouring in to Bologna under such masters. The city's title of "La Dotta" – the learned one - comes from it's enduring claim-to-fame: it is the home to the oldest university in the Western world, the University of Bologna. It’s Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, means 'nourishing mother of studies'. It was founded in 1088, and has been open since the very first day it was created. Throughout history, students of this university have made groundbreaking contributions to literature, philosophy, and science. The university's alumni include Erasmus, four former Popes, Petrarch, Copernicus, and Dante Alighieri. Dante has popped up many times in my travels around Tuscany - so here is where I make a shameless plug for our video on Pistoia - a local’s tour of a town Dante featured in The Divine Comedy, calling it a Den of Beasts. Spoiler alert: It wasn't. It was a fabulous town that offers tourist gems without the crowds. We recommend you check it out.
I went to take a look at the university, but sadly missed my opportunity again. This is one day-trip I clearly didn’t do my research on. While access to the university is free all day during the workign week, it is closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and I had left it a couple of hours too late to enter. Hopefully you learn from my mistake and get a chance to go inside and look around.
I was late to the university because I had stopped to enjoy a bit of ‘The Fat’. It’s pretty hard to resist the many fabulous cafes and restaurants of Bologna. Its title of "La Grassa" has been around since the Middle Ages, as it was a centre of food production and trade. Noble families employed the most celebrated chefs of the time at their courts, and there were already numerous taverns in the city by the fourteenth century. The city is blessed to be surrounded by a fertile countryside. Plus, the mix of students and professors of different nationalities which poured into the famous university, brought with them a healthy appetite and a demand for culinary diversity, further supporting the food production industry.
The ‘fat’ comes from the tendency of Bolognese recipes to be rich in meat, particularly pork, and in dairy products such as butter, soft cheeses and Parmigiano. The pasta of the area is egg-based, and usually thick and flat - unlike spaghetti. I was very surprised to discover that Spaghetti Bolognese is really an American-Italian version of what in Bologna is known as Tagliatelle al ragù. The ragù sauce is usually made out of minced beef, onions, celery & carrots, while the pasta is long, flat and egg-based. It is absolutely delicious, but it’s definitely not your only option for pasta - you’ll find a fabulous range of restaurants to choose from which will all help you fatten up in Bolognian style. The city has stayed true to its international population and has a number of organic, vegan, and vegetarian-only food options, along with a great selection of global cuisine and you’ll find Japanese, Greek & Mexican cafes and restaurants (to name a few) dotted around the side streets.
So all up, how do I rate my solo day-trip to The Learned, The Fat and The Red? I would have to give Bologna a thumbs-up recommendation for sure. I can see why my Dad has such good memories. There really is a buzzing atmosphere that draws you in. And while it certainly was busy, it didn't have the queues and congestion that was a feature of Florence. Bologna is a place you can comfortably pop into spontaneously and enjoy a day of sights, insights, and culinary delights (see what I did there). I hope you get a chance to visit - and when you do, please comment and let us know what you saw, thought and ate.
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