Bologna is a city rich in history, museums, foods to try and many places to discover. There are so many attractions to see that a weekend doesn't allow enough time to see it all, so what to do? Read on to discover 5 of the best experiences in Bologna and its surroundings that will make you fall in love with this city.
Climb the Asinelli tower
The Asinelli tower is located in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana in the historic center. A silent giant who has been watching over Bologna since the 12th century and seeing it change.
Climbing to the top of the Asinelli tower along its 498 steps is a particularly exciting experience for me. Inside the tower, the stairs that lead to the top are all made of wood, hearing them creak under your feet and stopping during the climb to admire the view from the small windows is exciting, it feels like experiencing a small "Indiana Jones" style adventure.
Sure, the climb is a little tiring – there's no elevator – but not that challenging. The prize is a privileged view over the red roofs of Bologna, a great sensation to experience at an impressive height of 96 metres.
Legend has it that the tower was built on the initiative of a young man who professionally transported gravel and sand with his two donkeys (hence the name). The young man fell in love with a girl belonging to a noble family but this did not stop him and he asked her in marriage to the rich father who agreed to grant him his daughter's hand but as a dowry he requested the highest tower in Bologna.
While removing some gravel, the poor young man found a chest full of gold which he used to build the Torre degli Asinelli and thus managed to marry his beloved.
Returning to history: the first official documents linking the tower to the Asinelli family are dated 1185 when Alberto di Munsarello Asinelli was the owner. It passed from generation to generation until in 1398 it became municipal property.
Over time the tower had various uses including prison and gallows . On the Maggiore street side, those condemned to death were locked in an iron cage exposed to the elements and left to die.
Visit the Archiginnasio Palace and the Anatomical Theatre
You cannot leave Bologna without seeing the Archiginnasio: one of the most significant buildings in Bologna. It is located in the historic center in Piazza Galvani 1 and has housed the municipal library since 1838. In 1944 - during the Second World War - the palace was seriously damaged by a bombing but was immediately rebuilt.
Inside Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio there is the well-known Anatomical Theatre, beautiful to say the least. It was built in 1637 for the teaching of anatomy and is entirely made of inlaid and finely worked wood. As soon as you enter, you notice a marble table in the center of the room where the bodies were positioned and dissected while an inquisition friar checked from a small window that the limits imposed by religion were respected.
The teacher's desk is a canopy supported by two beautiful wooden statues: the skinned statues which depict the under skin of two male bodies. I spent more than ten minutes staring at the details and perfect features of these two extraordinary wooden models.
Legend has it that students often ran out of bodies to study and to overcome this problem they went to the cemetery at night with a pick and shovel to dig up fresh bodies.
Palazzo Pepoli
Palazzo Pepoli tells the story of Bologna. The museum is modern and uses lights, shadows, technology and advanced reality to make the experience unique, which is why I recommend it even for the little ones. Visiting Palazzo Pepoli allows you to take a multimedia and sensorial journey through 2500 years of history.
At the center of the covered courtyard is " the tower of time ": a steel and glass structure illuminated with natural light coming from the courtyard itself. This modern creation symbolizes the towers of Bologna and was designed to make the visit fluid by connecting the ground floor with the first floor.
At Palazzo Pepoli for the first time I tried virtual reality in the 3D exhibition area, precisely in the " time machine " room. Here it is possible to "enter" the history of Bologna by wearing a visor that allows you to catapult yourself into a real journey through time during which I had the opportunity to virtually explore medieval Bologna by walking through the streets and exploring the numerous buildings and towers .
Climb the clock tower
Another tower? Well yes , but this time the steps to follow are lower than the Asinelli tower and the experience is truly unique. Palazzo d'Accursio is one if not the symbolic place of the power of Bologna , inside the majestic staircase of horses led us up to the second floor where we arrived in the beating - or rather - ticking heart of the palace: the clock and its gears . I was literally hypnotized by those rhythmic movements capable of precisely measuring time. Observing the pendulum and the mechanism, one perceives its importance, especially for all the people of Bologna who marked their days based on its chimes.
From the clock, via a pair of wooden ramps you reach the balcony where there is a spectacular view of the legendary Piazza Maggiore.
See the Basilica of San Luca
The basilica of San Luca is located 3.6 kilometers from Porta Saragozza and stands on a spectacular hill where on one side you can admire Bologna while towards the east the eye sweeps across the green hills that characterize the area.
How to get? You have two options: on foot – as per tradition – or by train.
Getting to the Basilica of San Luca on foot : The itinerary is feasible both in summer and in winter, with the sun and even with the rain since you will walk along the longest portico in the world , yes, you understood correctly, the longest. With its 666 arches it starts from Porta Saragozza and arrives directly at the Basilica. For believers the meaning of this walk is to atone for sins and to free themselves from the negative influence of the devil ( the number of porticoes is not random). Whether you are a believer or not, it is undoubtedly an experience that leads you to get to know a somewhat unusual Bologna. Starting from the city center, precisely from Piazza Maggiore, the total itinerary is 5 kilometers which can be easily covered in an hour and a half.
If you don't have sins to atone for, if you don't like walking or if you simply don't have much time, the alternative is to reach the sanctuary with the San Luca Express. The train leaves from Piazza Maggiore approximately every hour and reaches the sanctuary in 40 minutes.
A bit of history: the basilica of San Luca stands in a hermitage which in 1149 was used as a place of prayer by some young girls who decided to dedicate their lives to this and in 1741 - thanks to devout benefactors - the municipality gave consent to build the sanctuary on this hermitage, following the design of Carlo Francesco Dotti.
At the sanctuary it is possible to climb to the top of the dome via flights of stairs that reach a wooden door which hides one of the most beautiful views of the Bolognese hills. Even for this alone, it is worth the visit.
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