Ragu, Porticoes and Dissection: 10 Reasons to Visit Bologna

26th June 2018 | By Emily Gray

Bologna, home to ragu, the oldest university in the western world and the largest sundial in the world.  The historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna is one half, wide arcaded streets and large piazzas and  the other, cobbled narrow streets. We’ve rounded up ten reasons why you need to visit this city and it isn’t just food…

 

For Ragu

Bologna, the home of spaghetti bolognese you think, but you’d be wrong. Bolognese yes, spaghetti bolognese wrong. It should be fresh tagliatelle and not tainted with herbs and garlic. It’s a simple dish enriched only with a little or (in our case) a lot of parmesan. They’re Italians, aka foodies and should know better than us who chuck oregano at everything. Or are  they wrong? Apparently so, Piero Valdiserra, a marketing executive from Bologna has dared to say that 16th century texts prove that Italians did use spaghetti. So, spaghetti bolognese is technically back on, just don’t expect to find it in Bologna.

 The Bologna Towers

If you were a wealthy medieval family, what did you do to show your power? You built a tower of course and in a rather ‘my tower is bigger your tower’ way you’d try to build the biggest tower, rather like small man syndrome now. During the medieval period there were over hundred towers built to show both wealth and power but also military and defence purposes. Now there are 24 left one of which is the tallest medieval leaning tower in the world, it’s not just Pisa with the jaunty architecture. You can also climb the 498 steps to the top of one of the towers to admire the city from 97.2 metres high.

www.bolognawelcome.com

The University

Studying medical history at university we were often taught about the dissections that took place at Bologna university, the oldest university in the western world having started in 1088. Dissections took place in the Anatomical Theatre made of carved wood which was built by Antonio Levante, they only did two dissections a year both in winter – decomposing bodies in the summer is not ideal. Here you can see the famous statues of the Spellati (skinless) by Ercole Lelli and other figures of key players in history including Hippocrates and Galen.

www.bolognawelcome.com

Porticoes of Bologna

Bologna’s streets are dominated by porticoes or arcades. Other than being beautiful structures, they’re actually very useful as you don’t get wet in the rain and you have some respite from the sun. Handy. They began when private buildings wanted more room without technically taking up public space, whilst in other cities authorities cracked down on porticoes, in the thirteenth century, they were deemed compulsory and in 1363 it was said that no more wooden porticoes should be built, just stone pillars. Despite later rulings calling for all wooden porticoes to be demolished and replaced you can still see some 13th century porticoes lining the street.

Santo Stefano

Sitting at the end of a grand portico that widens out into what many think, is a square (technically it’s not), sits the Santo Stefano or seven churches. A labyrinth of holy buildings interlocked together, fusing different architectural styles as they were all built and renovated at different times. Despite its name only four churches remain today, including the city’s oldest church the Sanit Vitale e Agricola, the main part of the building dates back to the 11th century, although there are tombs of two saints which are much older. Visit and get lost in this peaceful place wandering through different doors, courtyards and arches to reveal new sights.

www.bolognawelcome.com

 Basilica Di San Petronio

Not be confused with the cathedral, Basilica Di San Petroni is Bolgona’s most important church, named in honour of Bolgona patron saint Petronio the 8th bishop of the city. Work started in 1390 and finished in…well it’s not quite finished yet. It’s taken so long to build that it now serves as a good example of different styles of architecture you can see Baroque and Gothic styles, it was built to be the largest church in the world and whilst it isn’t anymore, it’s still up there in the top ten. They do however hold the record for the world’s longest sundial, the unique concept and the accuracy of the system which tells you when it is midday makes the dial unique. As we know from our visit to Parma, Italy is big on frescoes and the church is home to a magnificent fresco by Giovanni da Modena, in its fourth chapel (there are 22 in total) which dramatically depicts heaven and hell.

The Grand Hotel Majestic

When staying in Bologna it has to be The Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”, it’s the oldest hotel in the city and with it, the most prestigious. Whilst all the rooms are palatial with antique touches, ornate beds, chandeliers and tall ceilings, if you can, go for the Art Deco terrace suite. Created during the most recent refurbishment, it’s the only room on the fifth floor and gives you a private terrace with the most wonderful views out across the city and the hills beyond. And it’s not just a little terrace where they’ve wedge in a chair or two, its approximately 70 square metres, aka bigger than you London flat.

www.grandhotelmajestic.duetorrihotels.com

Restaurant I Carracci

It’s not often that you can eat in a restaurant, where you’re eating amongst masterpieces of Italian art, which is why, whether you choose to stay (hint: you should) at The Grand Hotel Majestic, or not you should really visit the restaurant. The large room with gold, rich wall paper is enclosed by a ceiling that shows the impressive 15th century frescoes of the school of the Carracci brothers. Expect to be spending more time staring at the ceiling than your food. Although, when it comes to food, go for The Emilian Tradition tasting menu. Starting with regional charcuterie, the six-course meal includes ragu, and a decadent Bolognaise-style cutlet topped with prosciutto and melted parmesan with creamy smashed potatoes. It finishes with an ‘English’ soup which is not unlike a trifle.

www.grandhotelmajestic.duetorrihotels.com

 San Colombano – Tagliavini Collection

Bolognese scholar and musician Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini spent fifty years collecting around ninety instruments that span across five centuries. He left the collection to the San Colombano church and museum and it’s a unique and incredible opportunity to see beautiful harpsichords and wind instruments, including a seventeenth century harpsichord which is one of only two instruments commissioned by the Ferrarese marquis Ippolitio Bentivoglio from builder Giusti cimbalaro from Lucca. Unlike museums where instruments are boxed in behind glass walls, these instruments are for playing. Not by you, obviously. You can’t just go and have a go, but you can listen to the curator playing and attend concerts.

www.genusbononiae.it

 The Winding Streets

Bologna’s main streets may be wide and dominated by porticoes and arcades but turn off them and you’ll find yourself in a maze of narrow-cobbled streets. Shops jostle together  and the air is filled with the smell of cooking and shop windows are crammed with cheeses and meat, fresh bread and pasta.