The Emiliano capital cannot be missed from the album of places to visit at least once in your life. Traditions and modernity they blend perfectly into the city where the was born the first Italian university, whose foundation, according to some scholars, dates back as far as 1088.
We wanted to try a “fly-by visit”, a ’raid" that many people are forced to make for work reasons, but which we decide to undertake, with a touch of madness, for the pure pleasure of starting our day in a different place. We leave Marsala at 10.15 am, it's a long journey all the way up Italy. We let ourselves be lulled by the changing landscapes: conversation, reading, and listening to some good music help us pass the time. We're comfortable on the chaise-longue, and for once... we're not in a hurry.
The arrival of darkness brings on sleep, and the night passes quickly. At the first light of dawn, the Po Valley stretches out before our eyes.
We'll arrive on time, as our buses do every day, around 6.00 in the morning. Bologna She's already awake, because it's a city that never sleeps. The nightlife has given way to daily activities, people are rushing to work and school, the markets are coming to life.
A thousand different expressions on people's faces: ours is one of wonder… it's autumn, the weather is still pleasant, perhaps the best time to visit the city. Straight away in the direction of Piazza Maggiore, we want to soak up the atmosphere with a hearty breakfast in one of the many outdoor cafés. Surrounded by Basilica of San Petronio Oh, come on Palaces god Notaries and of Mayor, We breathe vibrant air, of freedom and culture, and we already smell the first aromas of traditional cuisine, which we will make entirely our own later.
The stroll through the city centre gifts us shades of terracotta and intense colours: we walk beneath the arcades, candidates to become UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an endless network along which we encounter charming squares, old-fashioned shops and elegant modern boutiques, historic palaces, churches from many eras and the numerous towers that define the city skyline. Garisenda and the Asinelli Tower, the entry point to Bologna from the ancient Via Emilia, they are the universally recognised symbol worldwide, but the “turrita” (city of towers) boasts over 100 medieval towers and tower-houses. We promise to return soon and climb the eleven storeys of Prendiparte Tower, ...they say the view from there is enchanting...
Lunchtime is approaching, we are ready for the exciting meeting with one of richer and more flavourful Italian cuisines. Choosing where to stop is awkward: the historic centre offers a large number of excellent restaurants and cosy osterias… we'll sit in one of these, we want to feel intimately Bolognese.
Tortellini, tagliatelle with ragù, mortadella? Bologna's culinary scene is much more than this, a Fan of flavours which summarises all of agricultural Emilia and is expressed in a thousand dishes, from the delightful simplicity of “peasant” cooking to the pursuit of maximum refinement in the personal interpretations of Michelin-starred chefs.
In the land of great wine tradition, the great variety of labels should not surprise us: Lambrusco and Sangiovese The iconic grape varietals, along with dozens of other wines, make up a “menu” capable of satisfying both the simple need to accompany food and the passion of the most expert wine lover.
We've still got a couple of hours – our bus leaves mid-afternoon, just enough time to visit an exhibition at Palazzo Albergati. 160 rare works by Marc Chagall, from private collections: a most enjoyable excursion into the poetic and magical sensibility of the great Russian author, which alone justifies our foray into Emilia!
At 5.30 pm we're on board... heading home.
Bologna deserves much morethe Chagall exhibition runs until 1 March 2020, It's the excuse of the moment to take a few days' holiday and immerse yourself in its long history and the liveliness of the Bolognese people, by day and by night… what are you waiting for? Your bus is always there, Autoservizi Salemi connects Sicily to Bologna every day
To get to know Bologna better... go there.
