There’s always something new to learn.
Bologna is the kind of city that doesn’t shout for attention—it simmers. With terracotta rooftops, portico-lined streets, and a culinary legacy that could humble any food critic, it’s a place where every alley offers a new aroma and every building tells a centuries-old story. Locals call it La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa—The Learned, The Fat, The Red—and somehow, the city lives up to all three. It’s a city of universities and slow-cooked ragù, of political passion and piazza stillness.
Whether you’re ducking into a bookstore or devouring tortellini in brodo, Bologna rewards the curious and the hungry alike.
Let’s see what we discover.
Things you didn’t know about Bologna.
5. Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world.
Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna has been educating scholars for nearly a millennium, including Dante and Petrarch.
4. The city’s towers once outnumbered Manhattan’s skyscrapers.
In the Middle Ages, Bologna had over 100 towers—symbols of wealth and power—though only a few remain today, including the iconic Due Torri.
3. Traditional Bolognese sauce never uses spaghetti.
That famous “spaghetti Bolognese”? Total myth. Locals serve their rich ragù with tagliatelle—always.
2. The porticos stretch over 24 miles.
Bologna’s covered walkways are both practical and poetic, with the world’s longest portico leading all the way to the Sanctuary of San Luca.
1. There’s a secret canal system beneath the city.
Once used for transporting goods, Bologna’s canals now hide in plain sight, offering a quiet echo of Venice if you know where to peek.
Bottom line.
Bologna doesn’t follow trends—it sets the table.
It’s intellectual, indulgent, and proudly its own.
History is everywhere, but never dusty.
And yes—the pasta really is that good.
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