Tourist attractions in Bologna that you must see on your vacation.
Bologna is both as old and as young as its history. The city itself was the site of an Etruscan town, thus predating the founding of ancient Rome. The city's Archaeological Museum is the perfect place to see artifacts from that earlier time. Not dwelling too much on its own history, however, the Museum has an excellent display of Egyptian art as well.
Bologna combines an interest in its early history and foundation and, at the same time, an interest in the world around it. This can set a tone for your trip to the city.
The founding of the first university anywhere happened in Bologna in 1088, Alma Mater Studiorum. From that time until now students have come to the city to study, to meet with each other and - lucky for us - to provide a center for culture that still brings people from all over the world. The Johns Hopkins University International School in Bologna, for example, offers post-graduate programs in economics, political science and history. The Palazzo Poggi is the current site of this first of all universities and is worth the visit to see its museums and exhibits.
Where you have students, you have movies. Cineteca Bologna was founded in the 1960s and has a number of festivals throughout the year including the Cinema Ritrovato festival in July showing everything from pre-WWI newsreels, to restored classics. The March festival brings moviegoers from around Europe to see the latest in cinematic art.
For the musically inclined, Bologna's Teatro Comunale offers events in one of Italy's premier opera houses. The Teatro Comunale is actually one of the few opera houses that is doing well in Italy's restructuring of its opera venues.
Your walking tour will take you through the famous porticoes that thread through the city. Built to accommodate both the need to expand the urban center while continuing to provide a way for people to walk from place to place, the porticoes give us the feeling of a medieval town within a huge urban area. Whether your strolling around Bologna is for shopping or for meeting with friends, the justly famous architecture brings art and humanity into close approximation.
Your stroll could take you to Piazza del Nettuno where you will find the Neptune Fountain. Considered scandalous when it was built in 1566, the fountain depicts Neptune with trident, cherubs and sirens. Considered one of the finest works of the Renaissance, it has become somewhat of a symbol of the city itself.
Another of these symbols of Bologna are the Two Towers, the Asinelli and the Garisenda. Begun in 1109, these two towers might not have the same renown as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but they lean nonetheless. The Garisenda is the less secure of the two towers and is closed to the public, but the Asinella offers a panoramic view for those willing to go to its top. These towers are part of a string of towers throughout the city which used to number in the hundreds but which now number only about seventy-five.
Bologna has done well in making its past a part of a lively and thriving center for the 21st century. From the Towers to the city's thriving trade fairs, from the Piazza Maggiore at its center to a movie festival in sites throughout the city, from the beginning of university education in 1088 to being one of today's most prestigious medical schools, Bologna is well worth the visit.
