Page 4 - Italian-American Herald - September 2023

4 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | SEPTEMBER2023 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD CITIES
Bologna: La Rossa is poised to become the new ‘hot spot’ for travelers
A view of a canal through a secret window of Via Piella shows the city’s distinctive architecture. ADOBESTOCK.COM
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Piazza Maggiore, a scenic and historic public square, is a focal point of the city for locals and visitors. The square is bordered by the fifth largest cathedral in the world as well as elegant renaissance palaces. The square was created in the 13th century as a meeting point for merchants arriving in the city.
The city is famous for its vibrant porticoes, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021. They offer residents and visitors alike
a respite from the heat and when it rains. These porticos cover a bit over 38 miles and were built in medieval times during an urban expansion when it became popular to build the first floor out over the street on wooden supports. These were later replaced by stone columns. In 1288 city officials insisted on porticoes for all new buildings, high enough for a man to ride under them on a horse. The historical center is well preserved thanks to
a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s. In 2000 it was declared a European capital of culture
and in 2006, a UNESCO “City of Music.” Bologna is home to the oldest university of public research in continuous operation,
the University of Bologna, established in A.D. 1088. The large student population gives
it a cosmopolitan feel. With over 90,000 students, it offers 11 schools of programs and is the second-largest university in Italy after La Sapienza in Rome.
Bologna is also famous for its rich cuisine. Food lovers can enjoy open-air markets and hidden pastifici (pasta shops) and dine at restaurants that have created well-known dishes like pasta Bolognese and Tortellini. Visitors can also spend a day at FICO Eataly, a theme park entirely devoted to Italian cooking. Bologna’s pride and joy is its mortadella, which is a staple on most menus as well as favorites such as fried cotoletta (veal) cutlets in melted Parmigiano sauce and pasta freshly rolled by un mattarello (rolling pin).
The city is also the birthplace of lasagna and tagliatelle al ragù. Tortellini Bolognesi in brodo (broth) is a favorite as well as a lesser-known specialty, Passatelli in brodo.
This dish is often referred to as a “poor man’s dish” with dumplings made from bread, eggs, and cheese in an enriched meat broth. Also popular is Gramigna, a squiggly-shaped, tubular rounded pasta from Emilia-Romagna. It was named after the Italian word for a type of curly grass that grows in the area.
The walls of the medieval city surround an area full of churches, museums, schools, stores, restaurants and museums. The city also boasts 24 medieval stone towers, including Bologna’s most iconic landmark, the Two Towers. There are two towers open to the public, one is the Asinelli Tower, noted as the tallest medieval leaning tower in the world.
One of the most important religious
sites is the Basilica of San Petronio where
the relics of the patron saint Petronius have been kept since 2000. They were previously housed in the Basilica of Santo Stefano, a complex of religious edifices locally known as the Sette Chiese (“Seven Churches”) and Santa Gerusalemme (“Holy Jerusalem”). San Petronio is a minor basilica which dominates Piazza Maggiore and is a trove of frescos and
In 2000 the city of Bologna was declared a European capital of culture and in 2006, a UNESCO “City of Music.”