Bologna is the largest city and capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It has a population of over 1 million and is situated at the foot of the Apennine Mountains where the Reno and Savena river valleys meet. Bologna has a long history as an urban center dating back to the Etruscans and Romans, and is home to the oldest university in the world, the University of Bologna founded in 1088. Bologna is renowned for its food, especially its Bolognese sauce, as well as being an important cultural and economic center of Italy.

1. BOLOGNA’S HISTORY
GEOGRAPHY
Bologna is the largest city (and the capital) of Emilia-Romagna, a northern
italian region. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, located in the
heart of a metropolitan area of about one million
people.
Bologna is situated on the edge of the Po Plain at the
foot of the Apennine Mountains, at the meeting
point of the Reno and Savena river valleys.
Bologna has a humid subtropical climate, with little
influence from the sea; winters can be cold, while
summers are hot and muggy due to the high
humidity in this area, and they can be long with long
periods of drought; in July and August it is normal for temperatures to
rise above 37°C.
HISTORY
The city has been urban centre, first
under the Etruscans and the Celts, then
under the Romans, then again in the
Middle Ages, as a free municipality (for
one century it was the fifth largest
European city based on population).
Home to the oldest university in the
world, the University of Bologna, founded
in 1088, Bologna hosts thousands of
students who enrich the social and cultural life of the city. Famous for its
towers and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical

2. centre (one of the largest in Italy) thanks to a careful restoration and
conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s, on the heels of
serious damage done by the urban demolition at the end of the 19th
century as well as that caused by wars.
CULTURE
An important cultural and artistic centre, its importance in terms of
landmarks can be attributed to a varied mixture of monuments and
architectural examples (medieval towers, antique buildings, churches, the
layout of its historical centre) as well as works of art which are the result
of a first class architectural and artistic history. Bologna is also an
important transportation crossroad for the roads and trains of Northern
Italy, where many important mechanical, electronic and nutritional
industries have their
headquarters. According
to the most recent data
gathered by the European
Regional Economic
Growth Index (E-REGI) of
2009, Bologna is the first
Italian city and the 47th
European city in terms of
its economic growth rate.
Bologna is home to numerous prestigious cultural, economic and political
institutions as well as one of the most impressive trade fair districts in
Europe. In 2000 it was declared European capital of culture and in 2006, a
UNESCO “city of music”. The city of Bologna was selected to participate in
the Universal Exposition of Shanghai 2010 together with 45 other cities

3. from around the world. Bologna is also one of the wealthiest cities in
Italy, often ranking as one of the top cities in terms of quality of life in the
country: in 2011 it ranked 1st out of 107 Italian cities.
CUISINE
Bologna is renowned for its culinary tradition. It has given its name to the
well-known Bolognese sauce, a meat based pasta sauce called in Italy
ragù alla bolognese but in the city itself
just ragù as in Tagliatelle al ragù.
Situated in the fertile Po River Valley,
the rich local cuisine depends heavily on
meat and cheese. As in all of Emilia-
Romagna, the production of cured pork
meats such as ham, mortadella and
salami is an important part of the local
food industry. Well-regarded nearby
vineyards include Pignoletto dei Colli Bolognesi, Lambrusco di Modena
and Sangiovese di Romagna. Tagliatelle with ragù, lasagne, tortellini
served in broth, and mortadella, the original Bologna sausage, are among
the local specialties.
SPORT
A sporting nickname for Bologna is Basket City in
reference to the success of the town's two rival
historic basketball clubs. Football also has a
strong tradition in Bologna. The city's main club,
Bologna F.C. 1909, have won seven Italian league

4. championships. Rugby union is also present in the city.
ARTS
The theatre was a popular form of entertainment in Bologna until the
16th century. The first public theater was the Teatro alla Scala, active
since 1547 in Palazzo del Podestà.
An important figure of Italian Bolognese theatre was Alfredo Testoni, the
playwright, author of The Cardinal Lambertini, who has had great
theatrical success since 1905.
In 1998, the City of Bologna initiated the project "Bologna dei Teatri"
(Bologna of the Theatres), an association of the major theatrical facilities
in the city.
Bologna's opera house is the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
The Orchestra Mozart, whose music director was Claudio Abbado until his
death in 2014, was created in 2004.
Bologna is the city where Lucio Dalla, the famous Italian singer-
songwriter, musician and actor, was born. Chiara Molinari class2C