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| Home - City Guide - Bologna - City Overview | ||
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City Overview There are three faces to Bologna: Bologna la rossa (the red), famed for her rusty rooftops, rich hues of terracotta and left-wing leanings; Bologna la dotta (the scholarly), so-called because the city is home to the oldest university in the world; and Bologna la grassa (the fat), the cradle of Italian gastronomy. Founded on the Po Plains by the Etruscans in 600BC as Felsina, the city was renamed Bononia by the Gauls, whose French overtones can still be heard in the local dialect today. Bologna came to worldwide attention with the founding of the university in 1088, when two thousand students from all over Europe poured into the medieval commune. Porticoes supporting additional lodgings sprung up all over the city to house the influx of newcomers and Bologna's leitmotif was born. Today, 40km (25 miles) of arcades shadow the streets of Bologna, covered walkways that give the city its unique style. Under the arches, lovers shelter from prying eyes, elegant Bolognese ladies take refuge from the rain and North African immigrants proffer lighters and bogus Gucci wallets. From Piazza Maggiore, the cobbled streets radiate outwards towards the city gates, like spokes on a crumpled bicycle-wheel. This is the heart of Bologna, a handsome square sealed on all sides by medieval palazzi and the half-finished bulk of San Petronio. Here, amid the pigeons, the Bolognese come to shop, to pray, to chat and to demonstrate. Politics excites a good deal of passion in 'Red Bologna', famous for being the first city to elect a Communist council. When the Bolognese professor, and former Prime Minister, Romano Prodi lead the Olive Tree coalition to victory in the 1996 elections, he gave the Communist Party their first legitimate role in government. Sometimes the politics have turned nasty: every year a commemorative service is held on 2 August to honour the 84 people who died when Bologna's train station was bombed by right-wing terrorists in 1980. But this proud and solid community will not be bullied. Only at mealtimes do the Bolognese fall silent. In Bologna, a social conscience goes hand in hand with a hearty appetite. The Mercato dell'Erbe, just off Piazza Maggiore, is a riot of sounds, smells and colours; shop windows are laden with succulent hams and spicy salamis; and scores of restaurants devote hours to pummelling, stretching and stuffing fresh pasta. Progressive, wealthy and cosmopolitan, the city is one of the leading centres of industry and business in Italy. The fairground district, built in the 1960s by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, echoes the medieval towers of Bologna. As the fifth-largest exhibition centre in Europe, it plays host to major international trade fairs and dictates the ebb and flow of city life. In 2000, Bologna was one of nine European cities of culture, enjoying a huge programme of music, cinema, theatre and public spending to open the city up to foreign visitors. Improved accessibility to the city's russet charms promise to draw tourists from afar while the sheer abundance of food and hospitality means that some may never leave. |
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