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BOLOGNA
Over the centuries, Bologna has acquired many nicknames. "Bologna the learned" is a reference to its famous university. "Bologna the fat" refers to its cuisine. "Bologna the red" not only for its political leanings but also due to its abundance of red brick and marble buildings.

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BOLOGNA CHURCHES, LARGE AND SMALL: CITY SECRETS AND ANECDOTES
For centuries, Bologna was an important Papal city, second only to Rome. It is only natural; therefore, that it should host a large number of important religious buildings. Indeed, almost every church in the city is characterized by the high quality of artwork it contains.
Bologna churches lend themselves well to a variety of themed itineraries:
Inside-out Itinerary: a guided tour of approximately 2 hours that concentrates on a single building, examining in depth its history, artwork and architectural features.
Theme Itinerary: if the group has a special interest in a particular architectural style (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, etc.) it is possible to visit 3 churches that present significant yet different aspects of the selected genre. This tour lasts 2 1/2 hours.
Roots of Christianity Itinerary: this 2 1/2 hour tour concentrates on the most ancient churches in Bologna (from the 5th to the 11th century), buildings that bear witness to the birth of Christianity under a tolerant Ancient Rome. These centuries-old churches have maintained their Byzantine and Romanesque charm to the present day and are often home to suggestive crypts or surprising frescos.
Secret Chapels Itinerary: most of these artistic gems are privately owned and closed to the public, requiring permission to visit. It is well worth the trouble; however, when the fabulous treasures these oratories contain are revealed.

NOBLE HOMES: POMP & GOSSIP
Bologna is not just churches; it boasts a large number of sumptuous palaces where one can still breathe the aristocratic air of time gone by. It is possible to concentrate on one or more of the palaces located in the city center and discover, together with the actual owners, the secrets of the noble families whose historic deeds and misdeeds took place in these very houses: love crimes, spectacular robberies, political intrigue and religious miracles. Almost all the noble palaces are today private residences; therefore, permission to visit is required as is a timely reservation.

COUNTRY HOMES: BOLOGNA'S BEST BEAT THE HEAT
Bologna's patrician families did not deny themselves the luxury of a country home, surrounded by impressive parks full of winding paths and secret hiding-places where the noble classes would spend the torrid summer evenings. Some of the villas boast beautiful botanical gardens, with fountains and water games that are impressive even today for their superior technology and "special effects".

YE OLDE SHOPPE - BOLOGNA STYLE: THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF ART
Bologna has a strong artisan tradition and its workshops are bursting with history, anecdotes and legends; many have even retained their original furnishings and decorations. To enter one of these stores is to find passage to a world gone by; yet the shops still manage to propose quality and innovative products in harmony with centuries-old tradition.
It is possible to visit only one kind of shop, such as pharmacies, goldsmiths, or lute makers, or to choose the most representative of each genre for a "greatest hits" tour.

BOLOGNA BY BIKE
An excellent way to explore Bologna is by bicycle. For the more sports-oriented tourist, it is possible to visit many secret and suggestive corners of the city on two wheels. You can pedal the length of the ancient canal system (you'll be surprised at just how much water runs through Bologna!), visit churches and palaces, or taverns and shops. Your legs are the limit for this tour!

CURIOUS WALKS: IN SEARCH OF BOLOGNA'S HIDDEN SECRETS
Bologna in Love: Stirring medieval love stories - young maidens and noble youths divided by warring families, or the more recent experiences of famous poets such as Foscolo, Leopardi, Shelley and Goethe, all of whom found passionate love here in Bologna.
Black Bologna: complex stories of bloody murders and unfound assassins, incredible accounts of skillful robberies, reports of trials and summary executions for the practice of magic and witchcraft.
Sex in the City: Bolognese women are famous for their beauty and so it would be a shame to leave the city without visiting the neighborhoods that for centuries have been home to the bordellos and their lusty "madams". An entertaining tour, but not perhaps for the prudish!
Color, Material, Capitals, & Doorknockers: triumphs of color that change as the hours go by, Bologna's temples glitter with gypsum, the mineral that gave Bologna its nickname of the "Silver City" in Roman times. This tour is all about functional sculpture, from decorated capitals, carved into fantastic, surreal shapes to ordinary doorknockers in wrought iron that have been transformed into veritable works of art.
Hidden Shrines: sacred images of disarming beauty can often be discovered under dark porticoes, or tucked away in narrow corners of medieval alleys, or even on the walls of ordinary houses. These artworks may be "minor", but they are nonetheless meaningful, expressing as they do a popular devotion belonging to the centuries gone by.
Towers: 2, 100, 200 towers. Bologna was once a "stone forest", a suggestive city full of medieval skyscrapers that offered protection to its inhabitants and facilitated the observation of the surrounding hills and plains. For those strong in leg and heart, it is possible to climb some of the more significant surviving towers to study their interior and to analyze Bologna's cityscape from an unrivalled position.
Porticoes: from 1200 to 1900, all the styles and decorations of Bologna's signature architectural feature, from Romanesque to Liberty. A unique cityscape, Bologna's porticoes offer 40 kilometers of covered walkways to discover and enjoy.
Bologna Liberty: from 1800 to 1900, the city exploded in a triumph of flower garlands and fanciful "grotesques" made of wrought and cast iron, in no way inferior to those produced at the Universal Exposition at the beginning of the century.
Secret Gardens: one of Bologna's most beautiful secrets is best appreciated from the sky. A bird's-eye view reveals a myriad of splendid, age-old gardens, green islands in a sea of red roofs. This Nature-lovers tour explores these gardens, which often contain rare plants and trees as well as providing refuge for the many species of birds passing through the city.
Motor-Mania: for lovers of two- and four-wheeled vehicles, it is possible to organize specialized tours to the Formula 1 circuit at Imola or to the legendary Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati.
Jews and Judaism in Bologna: Bolognese Jews and Gentiles have a long history of reciprocal respect. An itinerary of great historical and religious interest, the tour includes visits to the Jewish Museum, the Ghetto and the Synagogue.
Crèches: wax, wood, terracotta, and painted; old and new; aristocratic and common. An interesting overview of this centuries-old tradition and its most beautiful artistic expressions.
Certosa and Certosino: the monumental Bologna Charterhouse is not just a place of timeless suggestion and historical interest; it is also the source of a delicious dessert, the "Certosino", which dates back to the 16th century. Visit includes free tasting.

MUSICAL BOLOGNA
Music has long held a privileged position in Bologna's history; the city was especially active and renowned during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Therefore it comes as no surprise that the world's oldest organs are conserved here. A few of the sites that may be visited in this tour include the city's antique organs, the small private theater of Villa Mazzacorati, the musical chapel of Santa Maria dei Servi, the Conservatory, and the "Teatro Comunale", the only surviving 18th century opera hall in Italy.


DAY TRIPS AROUND BOLOGNA		BOLOGNA CITY TROUS
	Dozza, one of the region's most picturesque medieval towns		In the Kitchens of Bologna
	Marzabotto, ancient Etruscan city		Bologna Museums & Galleries
	Monteveglio, one of the region's most beguiling medieval townships		The best of Bologna in...
	San Lazzaro di Savena		Topical Tours

About Bologna...
Until the late nineteenth century, when a large-scale urban reconstruction project was undertaken, Bologna remained one of the best preserved Medieval cities in Europe, though to this day it remains unique in its historic value. Despite having suffered from considerable bombing damage in 1944, Bologna's historic centre, one of Europe's largest, contains a wealth of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque artistic monuments of primary importance. Bologna developed as an Etruscan, then Roman colony along the Via Emilia, the street that still runs straight through the city under the changing names of Strada Maggiore, Rizzoli, Ugo Bassi, and San Felice. Due to its Roman heritage, the most central streets of Bologna, today largely pedestrianized, follow the grid pattern of the Roman settlement. The original Roman ramparts were supplanted by a high medieval system of fortifications, remains of which are still visible, and finally by a third and final set of ramparts built in the thirteenth century, of which numerous sections survive. Over twenty medieval defensive towers, some of them leaning precariously, remain from the over two hundred that were constructed in the era preceding the security guaranteed by unified civic government. Numerous important churches, such as Santo Stefano, San Domenico, San Francesco, Santa Maria dei Servi, San Giacomo Maggiore and San Petronio, punctuate the city's skyline with their tall spires and noteworthy architecture. The cityscape is further enriched by elegant and extensive arcades (or porticos), for which the city is famous. In total, there are over 37 kilometers of arcades in the city, which make it possible to walk for long distances sheltered from rain, snow, or hot summer sun. Learn more about Bologna...