Exploring the Best of Bologna
Italy’s Culinary Capital also Dishes up Culture and History
Jun 18, 2009
“La Rossa," the Red, refers to both the city's sometimes-leftist political leanings and to the red brick buildings that dominate Bologna's architecture. “La Dotta," the Scholar, reflects the city’s active student life. “La Grossa," the Fat, honors Bologna’s well-deserved reputation as the culinary capital of Italy. Shops and stalls overflowing with shining produce and savory fare crowd the market area, which is just off Piazza Maggiore.
Bologna's Architectural Highlights
Piazza Maggiore and the adjoining Piazza Nettuno form Bologna's living room, its central meeting place. The 16th-century Fountain of Neptune, where topless mermaids lean against the base of the statue of the muscular god of the sea, is Piazza Nettuno's centerpiece.
Red brick buildings, dating from the 13th to 15th centuries, surround Piazza Maggiore. These buildings have arcades that provide shade and shelter. In fact, these arcades, or portici, are such an integral part of Bolognese architecture that the city has more than 40 miles of them.
The immense Basilica di San Petronio dominates Piazza Maggiore. Alternating stripes of red and white marble cover most of the building. But the upper portion of the façade is red brick, a testament to a grandiose, but thwarted, plan. When construction began at the end of the 14th century the cathedral was intended to be larger and more opulent than St. Peter’s in Rome. In 1565, however, church authorities decided that a good hunk of the St. Petronio’s building funds would be spent elsewhere. Even so, St. Petronio is the fifth largest church in Italy. Vastness is the immediate impression of the interior, in which 22 chapels open off the 140-foot-high nave.
The University and Medieval Bologna
Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is considered Europe’s oldest university. San Petronio's redirected funds went to the Palazzo Archiginnasio, which was the seat of the University of Bologna until 1800. Tucked under a portico across from the eastern side of St. Petronio, Archiginnasio now houses the municipal library. The frescoes and coats of arms in the courtyard are memorials to famous scholars.
As it grew, the university moved to its current location in Bologna’s northeast section. From lively bars in the university district to protests in Piazza Maggiore, students are a dynamic presence in the city. Bologna’s main art museum, the Pinacoteca Nazionale, sits among the university buildings. The collection features major works from the 16th-century Bolognese and Emilian schools and works by Giotto, Tintoretto and El Greco.
Seven medieval streets converge at Piazza Porta Ravegnana where Bologna’s two leaning towers, Torre degli Asinelli and Torre della Garisenda, bow to each other. Noble medieval families built the towers as status symbols. In the 12th century, an extremely prosperous time for Bologna, the city had almost 200 towers. Now only a few remain. Battling aristocrats, time and weak foundations led to the collapse of the rest of the towers. Energetic visitors climb the 500 narrow steps to the view from the top of Torre degli Asinelli, which tilts about seven feet. The shorter Torre della Garisenda leans 10 feet.
The Piazza Santo Stefano is Bologna's most beautiful piazza. Here is a different, less crowded Bologna, a piazza whose smaller scale makes it more intimate than the vast space of Piazza Maggiore. Piazza San Stefano is quiet—no cars, no motor scooters. On a spring afternoon, birds sang from the tall cypress trees by St. Stefano while a young man leading against an ancient column strummed a Beatles tune on his guitar.
St. Stefano is a monastery that is a highly unusual collection of four churches, a 10th-century cloister and two chapels dating from the 8th to 11th centuries. The complex stands over the site of an ancient temple of the Egyptian goddess Isis, who was popular with the Romans. Columns from that ancient temple are part of San Sepolcro, a polygonal temple modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The 5th century Santi Vialte ed Agricola, Bologna’s oldest church, incorporates fragments of Roman buildings.
Food Markets and Culinary Traditions
A narrow passageway just north of Archiginnasio leads to Bologna’s market area. Along these few narrow streets plump berries and shiny cherries brighten produce stands. Upscale food shops display aromatic cheeses, rich mortadella, prized Parma hams and dozens of handmade pastas. Other stores sell local products such as grappa and balsamic vinegar. Bustling sidewalk cafes serve tagliatelle, Bologna’s specialty pasta, most often topped with scrumptious ragu sauce, another Bolognese culinary legacy.
The market streets lead past the Palazzo della Mercanzia, a 14th-century Gothic beauty that housed the medieval merchants’ exchange.
Visit Bologna during the mild days of spring and fall. Summers here are quite hot.
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