Bologna is the seventh largest city in Italy with about 380,000 inhabitants.. Also the capital of Emilia-Romagna and the province of Bologna..
Europe´s oldest university was founded in 1088 and has shaped the city and its inhabitants to the present day.. 80,000 students from home and abroad give Bologna a cosmopolitan flair..

     

Three thousand years ago Bologna was founded by the Etruscans..
The Romans gave the city the name ´Bononia´.. This gave rise to the name Bologna..

In the Middle Ages, Bologna was one of the largest cities, threatening to burst at the seams.. Science, trade, art and culture had their center here.. The result was a law that required the construction of arcades on the buildings.. Thus, additional living space was created and the pleasant side effect, the citizens could stroll dry head or protected from the sun through the city..
40 km of arcades still connect squares, churches, palaces and the pedestrian area of ​​the old town, one of the most beautiful and best preserved in Europe..








halifax7, 2012-01-22