Introduction to the region: Emilia-Romagna and the city of Bologna

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In Emilia-Romagna one is spoilt for choice. In this post, however, I will largely describe Bologna, the region’s capital, in detail, but this is an ideal region to explore a multitude of picturesque towns dotted around the countryside and the seaside. You can comfortably explore by car or by train. In fact, Bologna is well-connected to Rome, Milan and Venice, and from here you can take local trains to the many of towns I feature and others!

     Bologna—La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa. The city is known as ‘La Dotta’ as in the ‘learnèd’ because Bologna is famous for the university, which proudly holds the title of oldest in the world. (This 'world' claim has been contested, but it is at least safe to say it is the oldest university in Europe, founded in 1088.) ‘La Grassa’, as in fat or rotund, because of the rich regional dishes many of which I describe in the Food and Wine post, and ‘La Rossa’ for the red rooftops that characterize the city. The many (but many) towers once represented the city, as there were between 150-200 built by wealthy families between the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, only about 20 towers stand and the most famous ones which serve as a symbol of the city are known as Le due torri (two towers) as pictured in the cover photo to this post. Both of them are slanted; the taller one is named Asinelli and the shorter one is Garisenda, named after the families that built them.

Another distinctive feature of the city is the miles of portici, or archways, that line the city. On my first trip to Bologna in 2010, natives were very happy to share an anecdote about the ability to walk around the city in the rain without an umbrella as the portici are that extensive (nearly 40 km around the city). You should start your stroll by the iconic Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) near the central piazza in the city, the Piazza Maggiore. In the piazza you will notice the façade of San Petronio, dedicated to the patron saint of Bologna. This bizarre facade was originally constructed between the 14th and 15th centuries, but as you will see, it was never finished. Stop by the Palazzo Archiginnasio, a historical building that was connected to the university of Bologna; thus, it is a good representation of the Dotta legacy. I also recommend visiting the Cineteca di Bologna; the first time I went they had an exhibition about Federico Fellini called Dall'Italia alla Luna, and I was lovestruck, as Fellini is, predictably, my favorite film director. In the summer months the Cineteca runs an open-air cinema series in Piazza Maggiore with a massive screen.

My mom enjoying an epic aperitivo in the quadrilatero

Now, I also praise the aperitivo culture in Ravenna in a subsequent post, but Ravenna is really Bologna’s little sister when it comes down to it.  As Bologna is the original university town, there is truly a youthful and ubiquitous spirit all when aperitivo hour sets in. People of all ages indulge, however, and it is glorious.

I Grassilli in Bologna

     For an aperitivo, you should head to the quadrilatero, four streets filled with places to try; Zerocinquantino on Via Pescherie Vecchie was recommended by a friend who is from Bologna and worked in the restaurant industry. Definitely book a table at I Grassilli, an authentic and intimate restaurant in the heart of the city center near the two towers. Trattoria Dal Biassanot was also recommended by this friend. The second restaurant is conveniently located very near to one of the sweetest and strangest sites in Bologna: the Finestra sul Canale (the window on the canal). There are so many markets to explore in Bologna; the Mercato Della Terra and the more popular Mercato Delle Erbe are great starting places where you can explore and eat.

     Here are two additional recommendations taken from the New York Times feature “36 hours in Bologna”:

Sette Tavoli is a restaurant that I went to on my first trip. I was treated by professors in the Languages and Literature department at the University of Bologna, and I remember starting my love affair with the regional cuisine here.

Fratelli Broche is a vintage shop which is quite centrally located; there is quite a lot of good vintage shopping around the city, and it is fun to explore this scene.

     For views overlooking the city, ‘hike’ to the Santuario di Madonna di San Luca on the Monte della Guardia.  Don’t worry about the elements because you will be covered by the famous portici for most of the way!

The Grand Hotel in Rimini peaking through the trees

Shifting attention from the capital city, I will focus on one other prominent city, the seaside town of Rimini. Although affectionately known as ‘the breadbasket of Italy’ for the culinary heritage, Emilia-Romagna also has a coastline (the ‘Romagna’ part of this compound region). Most Italians are familiar with this regional beach culture, especially for the glory days of the 1960s. Rimini, in particular, is represents the summertime in Italy with over lidi (beach clubs) lined up one after another, seaside promenades, countless hotels and restaurants all stretching along the Adriatic coast. Once fashionable, this seafront now screams ‘dated and crowded’, but there is still a palpable vintage charm to Rimini, if you are ready to embrace it. In fact, Netflix recently released a series called ‘Summertime’ set along this stretch of the Adriatic coast, and it captures the feel I have tried to describe. Check out the trailer here.

And, there is more. Rimini is the hometown of my favorite film director, Federico Fellini, so I took another pilgrimage (a cinematic one this time). The town is filled with his magic. It starts at the Grand Hotel, where Fellini loved to stay and famously praised it stating: ‘When I read descriptions in novels that did not quite raise my imagination to the heights I thought they should, I would pull out the Grand Hotel.’ Amarcord and I Vitelloni are the two films most closely associated with his hometown, so these are requisite watching if you plan to make a pilgrimage as well. You can get a taste for Fellini’s style set amongst iconic views of Rimini in the trailer below.

English trailer for Fellini’s Amarcord