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Overview
Visitors coming to northern Italy
most commonly head straight to Milan
or Venice, thereby skipping one of
the most overlooked treasures which
lies in between those two cities:
Bologna. Despite its absence of
enormous tourist crowds that flock
to major cities, Bologna thrives on
its own as the chosen European City
of Culture in 2000 and home to the
oldest university in Europe. Among
its many nicknames (Bologna the
learned, Bologna the fat, Bologna
the red and the Basket city),
perhaps the one that best captures
its character and energy is
città del gaudente: "the
city of the pleasure seeker".
Apart from the succulent Bolognese
cuisine, the frolic calendar
brimming with events and festivals,
and the bohemian atmosphere around
the youth-full squares, the
invigorating Adriatic beaches are
just less than an hour away. Bologna
is simply an enjoyable Italian city
with a rare and uncompromising style
like no other.
History
The first people to settle in
Bologna during the Bronze Age over
3,000 years ago were the Villanovese. Since then different
tribes of settlers came and went
until the Romans completely
subjugated it in the 2nd century
B.C. and established their rule for
400 years. As the empire gradually
deteriorated, a succession of
barbarian tribes from the north
attacked and conquered Bologna.
Later, the city's wealth, university
and its location was to become the
subject of contention among the
Christians until Bologna was made
the papal state. After 1860, Bologna
became part of the united Italy and
has since become a center for the
radical politic activitists and
liberal-minded intellectuals.
Geography & Climate
Bologna is situated in the
Pedemontana Apennine zone, where the
valley of the Reno opens out to the
Emilia plain. It is the capital of
the Emilia-Romagna region. Its
northern location has influenced
Bologna's climate to tilt toward the
continental. Winters tend to be very
cold (below 10º C ) especially
in January, and summers very hot,
especially in July and August
(temperatures above 32º C not
uncommon). Springs and falls
generally offer the most pleasant
time to visit, and Bologna is hardly
ever overcrowded with
tourists.
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