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 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 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 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 class 2C