The Colour Red - On seeing Bologna for the first time one is astounded by the amount of red – the roofs, the buildings and the wonderful porticos that allow passage from one end of the city to the other under-cover. Bologna is also known as the ‘Red City’ for another reason, it politics. Until 1999 many citizens voted communist or socialist in the polls. (Italian communism is far removed from the traditional eastern European and Chinese style). They voted for the centre-right in 1999 but in 2004 the centre-left regained power.
It is a city of intellectuals with the oldest University in the world founded in 1088. Starting as a loose collection of teachers and students in a small area in the heart of the city, it grew gradually to what it is today and became more organised as it settled in a number of buildings, many of which are still in use.
The university - One of the more interesting buildings is the Palazzo dell'Archiginasio which houses the amazing anatomical theatre. Built entirely of wood in 1637, it has a marble table for the cadavers and tiers of seats for the student doctors. An assistant used to dissect the bodies on the commands of the professor who directed the autopsies by the use of a long stick which he used to point out the various body parts. The professor would sit in a special throne-like seat surrounded by everyone else and would never touch the body. The theatre was bombed during WW11 but rebuilt from the remains and some new wood so that it remains the same inspirational but morbid classroom. The theatre was not the only thing destroyed, the whole side of the building housing it sustained damage from bombs.
It is a city of intellectuals with the oldest University in the world founded in 1088. Starting as a loose collection of teachers and students in a small area in the heart of the city, it grew gradually to what it is today and became more organised as it settled in a number of buildings, many of which are still in use.
The university - One of the more interesting buildings is the Palazzo dell'Archiginasio which houses the amazing anatomical theatre. Built entirely of wood in 1637, it has a marble table for the cadavers and tiers of seats for the student doctors. An assistant used to dissect the bodies on the commands of the professor who directed the autopsies by the use of a long stick which he used to point out the various body parts. The professor would sit in a special throne-like seat surrounded by everyone else and would never touch the body. The theatre was bombed during WW11 but rebuilt from the remains and some new wood so that it remains the same inspirational but morbid classroom. The theatre was not the only thing destroyed, the whole side of the building housing it sustained damage from bombs.
Many of the wealthier students – sons of princes and dukes – had their family crest painted on the walls of the palazzo to prove they had been students. There are around 7000 all together but a whole section of these was lost when the wall was shattered. It has been replaced but the crests have been lost forever. The new wall has been painted with blank crests to show how many were lost.
Sites to watch out for - Step out of the Palazzo and the great basilica of San Petronio looms above you. Many years ago the people of Bologna were very devout and they wanted to build a church that proved their devotion by being the biggest ever built. The Pope on hearing this came to Bologna and made a deal with the people, he would pay for a number of buildings for the university if they would stop the building of the basilica which was approaching the same size as St Peters in Rome. The people agreed to stop and the building was left with not only the back of the church unfinished (you can actually see where they stopped the construction on the outer wall) but the front of the church was also left wanting without its marble facia as was first planned. It is the fifth largest church in the world and holds a staggering 28,000 people, although weekly masses are not that crowded. The chapels built along each side are individual works of art with many famous painters and sculptors having some input and were built on one side by rich members of the community and the other by various trades including lawyers and doctors. It is the only city in Italy where a parochial church is larger than the actual cathedral – St Peter’s of Bologna.
Booking.com Just outside the church is a wall that has hundreds of photographs of men and women who played a role in the Resistance. This memorial has the names and birthdates of the many heroes of Bologna and is a constant reminder of those who gave their lives in the war. It is a spot where every visitor to the city seems to spend a few minutes in silence to view the names – it doesn’t seem to matter whether they were known to you, their stories still resonate within you.
The church sits on Piazza Maggiore, the largest square in the city, which is enclosed by buildings with porticos that stretch for kilometres in every direction. The city was originally surrounded by a large wall for protection and the city leaders would not allow building to extend past the wall but the university caused an influx of new citizens and they needed more room, so some bright spark came up with the idea and extending the rooms from the first floor out and over the street. The only proviso was that the porticos had to be high enough for a man on a horse to pass through. Therefore many of the buildings have porticos that offer protection from the rain. Originally built from wood, they soon were built from stone or bricks which were longer lasting and more substantial, many of them are painted on the inside so walking under them is to view an ever changing piece of art. One of the original porticos is still standing and the crude woodwork is way, way above the height of a man on a horse.
The Bolognese and their foodFood is all important in Bologna, from the stalls selling fruit and vegetables to the alimentaria – shops that sell everything from prosciutto to the famous homemade tortellini and tagliatelle. The windows are full of local golden pasta for those who don’t have the time to make it: tagliatelle, tortellini, tortellone and passatelli. They also have enormous sausages of mortadella, sometimes a metre in length, and other cold meats also take pride of place alongside local cheese. However, you have to go to a restaurant or a private home to have the famous Ragu Bolognese which doesn’t seem to be as popular there as outside Bologna.
The Bolognese are quite proud of their food and paying a slightly higher price for the best quality doesn’t bother them at all. They revere a particular pasticeria or bread shop, they are loyal to their local alimentaria (delicatessen) and fruttivendolo (greengrocer) and discussions about food are always one of the top topics of conversation. Eataly, one of Turins major attractions, has opened a branch in Bologna catering for the lunchtime crowds and gourmands alike. This three level store caters with snacks on the ground floor, restaurant quality on the second floor and a bar for aperitifs on the third. As well as food the shop is littered with all the accoutrements that the original store stocks as well as a library of books all about food. Restaurants are on every street corner and even in winter it is hard to get a seat. People seem to eat out regularly enjoying the home-style cooking available from the many small trattorie for a few euro.
Off the beaten track between the larger cities of Florence and Venice, Bologna offers much to the tourist to see, do and eat. Well worth making a detour o visit this vibrant city.
Booking.com
Sites to watch out for - Step out of the Palazzo and the great basilica of San Petronio looms above you. Many years ago the people of Bologna were very devout and they wanted to build a church that proved their devotion by being the biggest ever built. The Pope on hearing this came to Bologna and made a deal with the people, he would pay for a number of buildings for the university if they would stop the building of the basilica which was approaching the same size as St Peters in Rome. The people agreed to stop and the building was left with not only the back of the church unfinished (you can actually see where they stopped the construction on the outer wall) but the front of the church was also left wanting without its marble facia as was first planned. It is the fifth largest church in the world and holds a staggering 28,000 people, although weekly masses are not that crowded. The chapels built along each side are individual works of art with many famous painters and sculptors having some input and were built on one side by rich members of the community and the other by various trades including lawyers and doctors. It is the only city in Italy where a parochial church is larger than the actual cathedral – St Peter’s of Bologna.
Booking.com Just outside the church is a wall that has hundreds of photographs of men and women who played a role in the Resistance. This memorial has the names and birthdates of the many heroes of Bologna and is a constant reminder of those who gave their lives in the war. It is a spot where every visitor to the city seems to spend a few minutes in silence to view the names – it doesn’t seem to matter whether they were known to you, their stories still resonate within you.
The church sits on Piazza Maggiore, the largest square in the city, which is enclosed by buildings with porticos that stretch for kilometres in every direction. The city was originally surrounded by a large wall for protection and the city leaders would not allow building to extend past the wall but the university caused an influx of new citizens and they needed more room, so some bright spark came up with the idea and extending the rooms from the first floor out and over the street. The only proviso was that the porticos had to be high enough for a man on a horse to pass through. Therefore many of the buildings have porticos that offer protection from the rain. Originally built from wood, they soon were built from stone or bricks which were longer lasting and more substantial, many of them are painted on the inside so walking under them is to view an ever changing piece of art. One of the original porticos is still standing and the crude woodwork is way, way above the height of a man on a horse.
The Bolognese and their foodFood is all important in Bologna, from the stalls selling fruit and vegetables to the alimentaria – shops that sell everything from prosciutto to the famous homemade tortellini and tagliatelle. The windows are full of local golden pasta for those who don’t have the time to make it: tagliatelle, tortellini, tortellone and passatelli. They also have enormous sausages of mortadella, sometimes a metre in length, and other cold meats also take pride of place alongside local cheese. However, you have to go to a restaurant or a private home to have the famous Ragu Bolognese which doesn’t seem to be as popular there as outside Bologna.
The Bolognese are quite proud of their food and paying a slightly higher price for the best quality doesn’t bother them at all. They revere a particular pasticeria or bread shop, they are loyal to their local alimentaria (delicatessen) and fruttivendolo (greengrocer) and discussions about food are always one of the top topics of conversation. Eataly, one of Turins major attractions, has opened a branch in Bologna catering for the lunchtime crowds and gourmands alike. This three level store caters with snacks on the ground floor, restaurant quality on the second floor and a bar for aperitifs on the third. As well as food the shop is littered with all the accoutrements that the original store stocks as well as a library of books all about food. Restaurants are on every street corner and even in winter it is hard to get a seat. People seem to eat out regularly enjoying the home-style cooking available from the many small trattorie for a few euro.
Off the beaten track between the larger cities of Florence and Venice, Bologna offers much to the tourist to see, do and eat. Well worth making a detour o visit this vibrant city.
Comments