BOLOGNA HOTEL DEALS

BOLOGNA BREAKS

Bologna is one of the most overlooked jewels in Italy. People are more inclined to visit Italy’s Venice and Florence but fail to look between these popular cities.  However, what most people fail to realise is that Bologna is just as beautiful in its own right being one of the most architecturally unified cities in Europe with buildings the colour of sienna, marbled sidewalks and porticoes making a truly remarkable scene.

The city is also Italy’s gastronomic capital known throughout for its gourmet cuisine of pastas, meat and poultry specialties, and of course, Bologna’s incomparable sausage, the mortadella.

Bologna is also the first railway and motorway hub in Italy. The city plays host to numerous important international exhibitions like Motor Show, an exhibit of the best in cars and motorcycles, Saie, Saiedue and Cersaie, an exhibitions of buildings, Cosmoprof, an international exhibition of beauty and culture just to name a few.

The city still stands as a testimony to its Roman heritage. One can particular see this fact by taking note of the pattern of the city’s streets, where most of its central streets still follow the grid pattern of the Roman settlement.

Bologna’s main attractions include the Neptune Fountain, or the Fontana di Nettuno which many considers being the symbol of the city. This 16th century fountain shows Neptune with rippling muscles with his foot on top of the head of a dolphin while one arm carries a trident. Around Neptune’s feet are four highly erotic cherubs while four very sensual sirens shoot out water from their breasts at the base of the fountain. Some view this fountain as irreverent, indecent even but for those with liberal tastes, the fountain was a work of art.

Another main attraction in Bologna is the Basilica of San Petronio, Bologna’s main church situated in Piazza Maggiore. The Basilica of San Petronio is the fifth greatest church in the world. It stretches out for 132 meter in length and 60 meters in width while the church’s vault reaches up to 45 meters. The Basilica of San Petronio was dedicated to Bologna’s patron saint, Saint Petronius. The church is a majestic site that one shouldn’t miss when touring Bologna.

Bologna is also famous for its vibrant and beautiful cityscape lavishly decorated with elegant and extensive arcades or porticos. The city’s historical center alone has some 38 kilometers of arcades which make for a great shelter to carry on long distance walks despite the rain, snow or hot summer sun.

The longest in the world, the Portico of San Luca which runs with 666 arcades connects Porta Saragozza with San Luca Sanctuary. Porta Saragozza is one of the twelve gates of the ancient wall which rounded the city sometime in the middle Ages.

Another notable site in Bologna is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, situated just outside the main city on the Colle della Guardia or Guard Hill. Built in the 11th century, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca contains art masterpieces of different masters but perhaps the most significant work of all is the painting of the Madonna with Child which was credited to Luke the Evangelist.

Nightlife at Bologna is as vibrant as it is diverse. The city is dotted with cafes providing you a myriad of choices on where to chill out, have a drink or a shot of espresso or a light delicious meal even as late as 2 in the morning. Night owls usually come to pack on Via del Pratello, Via Zamboni and Via delle Belle Arte.
Bar Giuseppe, which stretches for at least a block beneath the arcades facing the Piazza Maggiore serves some of the best espresso and gelato in Bologna.

If you’re looking to listen to jazz and folk music in the city, Osteria de Poeti, Bologna’s oldest osteria since the 16th century is just the place you are craving for. But if you’re looking for ballet, opera and orchestral presentations, the Teatro Comunale is a great place to enjoy just that.

Truly, Bologna makes for one incomparable traveling experience that’s a feast for your eyes and your palate.
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