A little taste of Bologna...

Daily Gathering

2010-03-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

The older gentlemen that always meet up at Piazza Maggiore to discuss politics. They're quite entertaining to watch. In the background is the outdoor movie screen that was set up for summer nights.

Nettuno nella notte

2010-02-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

A view of the Neptune fountain at night.

The Anatomical Theater cont...

2009-11-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's not a very clear image, but here are some of the sculptures on the ceiling.

The Anatomical Theater

2009-11-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Sharing some insight about the ceiling sculptures with a friend. The wooden sculptures represent the different zodiac signs and were salvaged from the original theater after it was destroyed in the war. I'll try and find a picture of the sculptures.

Poor Horses...

2009-10-21T14:23:00.001-07:00

Something you'd rarely find here in the U.S. I never got up the courage to try horse...I think I like them too much when they're alive to try eating one. :)

Protests at the University

2009-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Graffiti from the sit-in at the university to oppose raising tuition fees.

2009-09-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Another view of the two towers, this time at night. =)

Hello!

2009-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of photos...I was living in Bologna for the year, and now I've returned home. I still have some photos to post, but there won't be an infinite amount. If you like my photos though, I have another photo-blog if you'd like to check it out at: http://throughmyuniqueeyes.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your interest in my tour of Bologna, it's been fun!

Kelly

Fish market

2009-09-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

One of the long-standing fish markets just off of Piazza Maggiore.

Summer sunset

2009-07-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

A view out my kitchen window one evening as the sun was setting. It looked like a painting. =)

Piazza Santo Stefano

2009-06-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Looking down Via Santo Stefano. The piazza is filled at night during the summer with university students sitting in large groups, drinking, playing guitar and talking. The church at the center of the piazza is in fact 7 churches all connected to each other.

Books

2009-06-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

The outdoor section of a bookstore just off of Piazza Maggiore.

Inside the university..

2009-04-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

One of the statues that decorate the stairwells within the Italianistica department of the university. The university is spread throughout the older sections of the city with the majority of the departments residing on Via Zamboni, which is filled 24/7 by students.

San Petronio

2009-04-02T11:17:00.001-07:00

The front of San Petronio. It's hard to capture the enormousness of this building, but it is one of the top ten largest churches in the world and would have been even larger if the construction hadn't stopped on it. The church was supposed to have side chapels so the entire building would have had the form of the cross, and it would have been even larger than Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, the Pope Pius IV stopped this by ordering buildings to be constructed close by on either side of the church. I'll try and get a picture of the side where you can see where the extension was supposed to be.

Hidden Canals

2009-04-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

One of the canals that run through Bologna. There are still quite a few subterranean waterways that originate from the small rivers that used to run through the city. Most are underground, but there are still some spots, like this one, where you can see the canal when it reaches the surface.

On the steps of San Petronio

2009-03-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the steps in front of San Petronio on a beautiful, sunny day. On the right, you can see the marble finishing of the church, but what you can't tell is that it only goes up halfway. This church was built by the people of Bologna and has a very rich history. Unfortunately, the community ran out of money at the time, and the church remains unfinished to this day.

Ave Maria

2009-03-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

You can find these all around Bologna, in the most unlikely of places. This one is on the side of an old apartment building right near Piazza Maggiore.

Giardini Margherita

2009-03-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

The largest park in Bologna, I Giardini Margherita are just south of the city center. It's a great place to come and relax for the day. On a sunny day it is filled with young people resting, juggling, playing guitar and families. There are games and bounce houses for children and plenty of little hidden areas to discover.

San Luca

2009-03-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Sanctuary of San Luca sits up on a hill overlooking the hills behind downtown Bologna. It's a beautiful walk, especially on a sunny day, and the inside of the church is wonderful as well.

Giant Pillow Fight

2009-03-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday there was a massive pillow fight in Piazza Maggiore. It was a flash mob type thing where everyone shows up with their pillow well-hidden, and at a designated time everyone starts beating each other. It was a pretty fun event and the fighting lasted for over an hour. The piazza was left covered in feathers and fluff. =)

A view from above..

2009-03-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the month of no posting, life has been pretty hectic lately. Anyhow, this is a view of Bologna from the top of one of the few remaining towers. I was standing on the top of the Torre di Prendiparte, and in the distance you can see the two towers Bologna is famous for, the Asinelli and the Garisenda. The Asinelli is the taller of the two and you can climb it for a beautiful view of the city, but the Garisenda is leaning too much to allow people to climb up.

Not your typical image of beauty..

2009-02-07T02:32:00.000-08:00

I found this beauty the other day while wandering. It's only the second or third nice Italian car I've seen so far here in Bologna..the other was a Lamborghini. =D Anyway, it's not your typical image of stunning Italian scenery but it is nevertheless a part of Italian history and culture.

And it's so beautiful, no? (I'm a sucker for well-crafted cars..)

Porta Saragozza

2009-02-04T05:53:00.000-08:00

Porta Saragozza....one of the twelve gateways built into the ancient wall that was constructed around the city during the Middle Ages. This porta was reconstructed in the mid-1800s and is the start of the world's longest portico which leads up to the Sanctuary of San Luca.

Before dusk..

2009-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

A view down Via Saragozza a few hours before sunset...

Stubborn vines..

2009-01-31T04:18:00.000-08:00

I found this building while wandering yesterday, and I thought it was pretty interesting. I wonder how long those vines have been growing for...some of them even reached the ground.

Archaeological Museum

2009-01-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting...exam time. Anyway, this is the courtyard of the archaeological museum, which is located right off of Piazza Maggiore. The museum has collections of Roman, Greek, Etruscan, and Egyptian artifacts and is really quite a fascinating place. You can learn a lot about the history of the Emilia-Romagna region (where Bologna is located), and its Egyptian section is one of the most important in Italy. Torino's museum however holds the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Italy. Another plus, admission is free. =)

A piece of Piazza Maggiore

2009-01-26T07:41:00.001-08:00

A view of one part of Piazza Maggiore. The building on the left is the Palazzo dei Notai, built in 1381 which housed the city's notaries, while the one on the right hand is Palazzo Comunale, the city's town hall.

Delicious..

2009-01-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Not exactly a view of Bologna, but some rather delicious desserts from the well-known pasticceria, Gamberini. They're window displays are likely to stop you in your tracks and make you drool.... ;-)

The road to San Luca...

2009-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

The road to the church San Luca is lined by porticoes, about 3.5 kilometers consisting of 666 arches to be precise. It's a beautiful walk, but the whole walk is uphill so be prepared. =) It's a local superstition in Bologna that students should make the walk to San Luca before their exams for good luck.

L'Amore

2009-01-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

There are a few canals in Bologna, small ones, but they exist nonetheless. On a side street there is a square window cut into a wall which overlooks a canal, and surrounding the window many people have chosen to write little declarations of love. The wall itself isn't too beautiful, but I liked this particular love note, especially in sepia-tone colors....

I Spellati

2009-01-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

Literally, "the skinned", these two statues flank the professor's seat in the anatomical theater in the Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, the first unified seat of the University of Bologna. First constructed in 1636, the theater was almost completely destroyed during a bombing raid in WWII and then rebuilt using the original pieces found among the rubble.

Andiamo a scuola!

2009-01-20T03:19:00.000-08:00

As I was walking towards Piazza Maggiore today with a friend, we spotted this ridiculously cute school bus. I couldn't not take a picture. =)

I Portici

2009-01-19T07:47:00.000-08:00

I portici that line most the streets in Bologna. This is on Via Farini, one of the more glamorous portico-lined streets.

A day in the park

2009-01-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

I was in one of the many little parks in Bologna the other day and watched this man feed the pigeons. It's been getting a bit warmer lately, and the sun peeked out for a little bit. He looked so at peace relaxing there.

Neptune Fountain

2009-01-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

One of the more controversial aspects of the Neptune Fountain. ;-) The fountain is located in Piazza del Nettuno, located just off the main piazza. It's a big gathering spot for the Bolognese at night, especially for the younger crowd.

Welcome to Bologna

2009-01-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

To start off this blog, I figured I'd give a little history about Bologna and how I've come to be in this beautiful city....

Bologna is an Italian city with a long history, dating back to 500B.C. with the Etruscans. It has a colorful story and is a place of great importance to this day. Bologna is the capital of the region Emilia-Romagna, in the northern half of Italy. A small city which like many European cities, has a nice mix of modern and medieval aspects. Bologna has three nicknames, La Dotta meaning "the learned", La Grassa meaning "the fat", and finally La Rossa or "the red".

The first nickname derives from the fact that Bologna has the oldest university in Europe, dating from 1088, which had notable scholars such as Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch as students. La Grassa comes from the rich culinary tradition in Bologna, now one of the gastronomic centers in Italy. It's the home of tortelloni, mortadella (vaguely related to that American version - bologna), and ragù sauce. The last name comes from the red-tinted buildings and rooftops.

Now, my reason for being in Bologna and the reason for this blog:

I am currently living in Bologna for the year, completing my last year of undergraduate study at the great Università di Bologna. While I'm living here, I wanted to share with the world the beauty of my new home. So I hope you enjoy the pictures and the bit of history I can maybe provide with them.

Benvenuto in Italia!