Even though neither of us have even been to Bologna, Mike and I have long had it on our short list of places to seriously consider living in Europe (along with Rome of course). We had heard so many good things from friends who have visited and lived there.
It did not disappoint, at all. Bologna, Italy is super under-rated among people who haven’t been there. It doesn’t have the fame and glamour of Rome or Venice or Florence, but it’s so perfectly, iconically Italy. We only spent 4 days here but I fell head over heels.
So here’s why I’m pretty sure I’ll be back in Bologna, if not to live (although maybe, hopefully, to live?), at least to hang out a little longer:
Contents
Covered Walkways
The first thing I noticed about this city and how I knew it must be made for weather challenged people like me! I even did a whole love letter to the porticos where you can read about their history.
Food (umm duh)
I thought about writing a whole post on the food of Bologna but I figured after Rome you guys might be tired of hearing it. No matter, I’m sure we will return and I will have ample time to tell you about the hot chocolate so thick it’s like pudding, so rich it’s like cream. Or the tortellinis boiled in tender broth (always in broth). Or the pasta bolognese which is never made with spaghetti- it’s too thick and hearty for such a wimpy pasta, you need a real thick noodle to take that rich beefy flavor.
I could also tell you about the Emilia-Romagna region and it’s many different areas famous for balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, Parma ham, truffles and more.
I could go on. I think you get what I’m putting out there though?
The Library
Nerdy girl that I am, I fell head over heels in love with the Bologna public library off of the Piazza Maggiore. The Salaborsa is located inside an old palace, but the interior is gorgeous and modern. We wandered in on a Thursday afternoon and the place was buzzing with university students working on projects, senior citizens reading the paper and hip young people on laptops. “I would work here all the time if we lived here,” I told Mike immediately.
The best part was the see through floor of the library which provides a window to an archeological dig going on below.
The Markets
Okay this is kind of a cheat since I already said food, but as I’ve made quite clear over the past few weeks I am super obsessed with Italian cuisine and fresh produce. I’ve been getting more and more in to eating organic and local, and it would be very easy, and delicious to do that in Italy.
In fact, I’ve already started researching local cooking classes.
The Crazy Statues
Look at that saucy minx! She and three others just like her form the base of the Fountain of Neptune by Renaissance artist Giambologna. It sits at the very center of the city and for me it pretty perfectly sums up the kind of irreverent, “we do what we want” attitude of the city.
Not sure about this one though, can anyone tell me what’s going on here?
The Ease of Travel
It’s also an ideal home base for someone looking to explore Italy geographically and culturally. It’s set right in the center of Northern Italy, a transportation hub with links to nearly everywhere.
From Bologna you can easily explore the surrounding region which includes gems of small towns like Ravenna, Modena, Parma, Reggio Emilia and a whole bunch more. Or you can go further afield and explore the rest of Italy:Venice is two hours away, Milan 1 hour, Florence just 45 minutes.
The Mystery
There is a lot of Bologna we didn’t get to see or experience in our three days there (particularly since we devoted an entire day to gorging on gelato). It’s an ancient city full of secrets, hidden alcoves, small museums and more. There are small cafes, modern shops, old traditions and more to be discovered. Plus, there’s all of Italy basically at your steps.
Will we make Bologna our home this fall? It’s a definite maybe. I would love to spend some time living in Italy, exploring the culture of my grandparents and hopscotching around Europe. If it were up to me we’d go right after the wedding. There are still a lot of details to be worked out, many not under my control, we we’ll have to wait and see, but no matter what happens I’m pretty sure I’ll come back to Bologna.
Think you guys could handle all the food posts?
We visited Bologna as guests of the Emilia-Romagna Tourism Board. All optimistic-about-moving-to-Italy opinions are my own.
