Bologna is the capital of what is now called Città Metropolitana di Bologna and used to be the province of the same name. The city is best known for its university and has a very beautiful historic center. It is also the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. The porticoes of Bologna are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Bologna travel guide
Tourist information
Region: Emilia-Romagna. Province: Bologna. ZIP code: 40100. Area code: 051. City Hall: Piazza Maggiore, 6 – 40124 Bologna (tel: +39 051 2193111). There are two tourist offices in the city. The main one is at Piazza Maggiore, 1E (tel: +39 051 239660) and the other one at the airport (Via del Triumvirato 84 – tel: +39 051 6472201).
Airport
The airport of Bologna is called Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi and is located in Borgo Panigale. For intercontinental flights, however, one must divert to Milan’s Malpensa Airport.
Public transportation
Bologna is one of the most important railroad hubs in Italy. There is a direct connection to Milan and Florence as well as to Rome. There are also direct connections with Rimini and Bari, as well as Pistoia and Ravenna. The main railway station is located just north of the historical centre.
There is no metro or tram in Bologna. The bus service is run by the company TPER. A single ticket (valid for 75 minutes from the moment you validate it) is 2,30 Euros, but 2,50 when you buy it on the bus. A 10-ticket carnet is 19 Euros. A day pass (24 hours from the moment it is validated) costs 9 Euros and needs to be scanned every time you enter a bus. A monthly ticket is 39 Euros. Note that this is not necessarily a 30- or 31-day pass, but that it is only valid till the end of the month you first used it. Tickets need to be validated every time you enter a bus. You are allowed to finish your trip, as long as you enter the bus before your ticket expires.
In general, however, public transport is rarely necessary. The centre is relatively small and almost all the sights are within walking distance.
Tourist attractions, what to see and do in Bologna
Churches
The cathedral of Bologna is dedicated to San Pietro. Other interesting churches include the Gothic San Petronio Basilica, the San Martino Church, the San Francesco Church and the San Domenico Church
The Santuario di San Luca, built on the Colle di Guardia, a hill outside the city, is conneceted to the centre by a 4 kilometer long portico with 600 arches, starting from the Porta Saragozza.
Historical buildings
The most beautiful palaces are the Palazzo Bolognini, the Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo dei Notai, the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio and the Palazzo Davia a Bargellini.
Museums
The city also has several interesting museums. The most important ones are the Pinacoteca Nazionale, the Archaeological Museum, the Ship Museum, the Museo Aldrovandiano and the Museo Carducci.
Towers
The center of Bologna is characterized by its towers, the most famous being the Torre degli Asinelli and the Garisenda. The Palazzo Comunale is flanked by the Torre dell’Orologio.
Squares and streets
The most beautiful square is the Piazza Maggiore, onto which all the city’s famous shopping streets (Via dell’Indipendenza, Via Ugo Bassi, Via Rizzoli and Via Massimo D’Azeglio) open. The most beautiful fountain is the Fontana del Nettuno (“Neptune Fountain”) and the most famous theatre is Antonio Bibiena‘s 18th century city theater.
The Piazza del Nettuno is adjacent to the Piazza Maggiore. The most important building in this square is the Palazzo Re Enzo, where the king of Sardinia was imprisoned for 23 years.
Porticoes
A general characteristic of the historical center is the presence of long rows of porticoes in most of the main streets of the city. Some of these are only functional, others are elaborately decorated. The total length of the porticoes is 38 kilometers, only counting the ones within the city walls.
Outside the centre
One of the first neighborhoods to be constructed outside the city walls is calle Bolognina. This district is located north of the railway station and is known for its variety of restaurants and markets, as well as for its street art. The main church of the neighborhood is the early 20th century Chiesa del Sacro Cuore di Gesù.
Shopping in Bologna
The main shopping street of Bologna is the Via dell’Indipendenza, which connects the central train station to the Piazza Maggiore.
A brief history of Bologna
The area where Bologna is located was already inhabited in the Bronze Age. On the site of the present city there used to be the Etruscan capital Felsina in the 6th century BC. In the 4th century BC this was occupied by a Gallic tribe named Boii, which gave the city its current name. In 189 BC it became a Roman colony called Bononia. The Forum of this oppidum (fortified city) was located at the site of the current Piazza dei Celestini. After the Barbarian invasions, the city became part of the Exarchate of Ravenna (a part of northern Italy controlled by the Byzantines between the 2nd half of the 6th century and the year 751). Later occupiers were the Lombards and the Franks.
Towards the end of the 10th century Bologna became a municipality. One century later the first university in Europe was founded by the jurist Irnerio. During the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Bologna took the side of the former against Frederick II.
The early 13th century saw the construction of the new Palazzo del Comune. Piazza Maggiore became the new central square of the city, taking over from the Piazza dei Celestini.
After having been property of the Pepoli, Bologna came into the hands of the Visconti family. This lasted until the death of Cardinal Egidio di Albernoz in 1367, after which it became a republic.
After being a fiefdom of the Bentivoglio family in the 15th century, Pope Julius II brought the city under the dominion of the Church in 1513.
When Napoleon founded the Cispadan Republic in 1796, he made Bologna its capital. This republic, however, did not even exist for one year when it was swallowed up by the Cisalpine Republic. After the end of the Napoleonic period, it returned to the Church.
Over the centuries, the city grew from an agricultural center to a commercial and industrial city. The clothing, book and metal industries are particularly important.
How to get to Bologna by car
Bologna is situated along the A1 motorway, which leads south from Milan via Florence and Rome. From the southern Adriatic coast the A14 leads to the city and from Padua this is the A13.
Bologna travel guide
Sources
- Official tourist information website of Bologna.
- Photos are my own (©RenatoProsciutto).
- Last visit to Bologna: July 2026.