"Why I like living in Bologna..."

Our guide Ilaria was born and raised in Florence but has lived in Bologna for the last 14 years. I recently asked her to weigh in on the pros and cons of each city.  Here's what she said.... I moved to Bologna when I was 18 to go to college, and like many young people I was attracted to the lively culture and vibrant nightlife of this university town. Fourteen years later, I'm still in love with Bologna. It's welcoming, stimulating, and a city on a human scale. It’s relatively small, so you can get around on foot or by bicycle, but big enough to offer stimulation and opportunities of all kinds.

* My 5 favorite things to do in Bologna:

1. Wander through the narrow streets of the old town, like the area around the former Jewish ghetto, imagining how it was in the Middle Ages. There’s actually a little video that reconstructs the streets of medieval Bologna. Pretty cool! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5mSluzZzc 2. Have a seat at a local trattoria and listen to the voices of the older patrons as they speak in dialect, play cards and drink tons of wine. 3. Climb up the Asinelli Tower (97m/320 feet) for an incredible view over the city.  4. Sit in one of the many town squares when the city is still asleep. 5. In the summer, go to the open-air cinema in Piazza Maggiore when they put up a big screen and transform the square into a huge party.

* Something not many people know about Bologna:

Bologna is famous for its porticos (altogether they run for 38 km/24 miles!), for its towers (there were 180 of them in Medieval times), and for having the oldest university in Europe (founded in 1088), which was attended by Copernicus, Thomas Becket, Paracelsus, Dürer, Erasmus, Dante, and Petrarch. But not everybody  knows that... * There is a river that runs through the city, even if you don’t  see it!  It runs underground and is now covered over by parking lots and buildings. In Via Piella, however, there is a small wooden window that gives a glimpse onto one of the many 12th century canals that served commercial shipping and provided the water for mills, dyeing, furnaces and factories.

The entire old city is lined with porticos

A rare peek at the river that runs through Bologna              

* The vaulted archway in Piazza Maggiore transmits sounds from one side to the other. Legend has it that in Medieval times this allowed even the lepers to confess.

* The statue of Neptune in the main square appears to be rather proud of his anatomy if seen from a particular angle. There is even a sign set into the pavement (a white square near the entrance of the Sala Borsa) that indicates the right position to appreciate “the joke”:

From the right angle, Neptune is always happy to see you... 

* On the wooden beams along the portico of Strada Maggiore, at the entrance to Corte Isolani, there are three arrows stuck into the ceiling. It is said that three robbers were going to shoot at a local lord, but at some point they were distracted by a young girl who appeared naked from a nearby window. The arrows went astray, and the lord thus escaped with his life.

* Lastly: food!  Not many people know that tagliatelle noodles were born in Bologna in 1487, inspired by the blond hair of Lucrezia Borgia on the occasion of her marriage.

Tortellini, which are also a regional specialty, were inspired by the shape of Venus's navel.  

Even mortadella was invented in Bologna. It dates back to the Roman period (1st c. AD), and as far back as 1661 it was designated an authentic local specialty. The first such designation in Italy 

(NOT to be confused with what you call "Baloney"!)

* My 5 favorite restaurants (or bars or gelaterias, etc.):

* The Osteria del Sole is an old tavern hidden among the narrow streets of the old town, near the old Quadrilateral market. It’s only open in the late afternoon (and closes at 9 pm every night), and retains the atmosphere of days gone by. They only serve drinks, but it is understood (in fact, it’s recommended) that you bring food from home. * Bar De Marchi in Piazza San Francesco is an old bar just a short walk from Via del Pratello, a lively popular neighborhood that’s well-known for its active nightlife as well as for a variety of shops doing design, furniture, publishing, and graphics, and several theater companies. * The Gelatauro is a delightful bar/shop and gelateria. The products are all organic and hand-made, and their ice cream has been described by the London Observer and Germany's Focus magazine as the best in Europe! * The “ARCI Hippodrome” is a social club frequented mainly by the old working class in Bologna. The prices are very cheap and you may stumble upon a “ballroom dance” night, or a raffle, or local group dinner. * Gelateria Stefino is another ice cream shop. Unbeatable for their fruit flavors! ------------------------------------

FLORENCE vs. BOLOGNA:  Blow by Blow

FOOD:  Tuscan cuisine (beans, meats, vegetables) is simpler and less greasy than the Bolognese tradition (tortellini, lasagna, noodles, meats, etc.). Tuscan wines are also generally recognized to be among the best in the country (Chianti, Brunello, etc. ..). A point for FLORENCE!

THE PEOPLE: I've always found the Florentines a little more closed and distant in comparison to the Bolognese, who are extremely welcoming and hospitable. A point for BOLOGNA!

THE LANGUAGE:  The Florentines don't have a dialect, but a very strong accent (they don’t pronounce the letter "c" for example). In Bologna, on the other hand, you can still find people who speak the Bolognese dialect, which I love even if it’s hard to understand.  Both accents are very funny and entertaining. A point to BOTH!

CULTURE:  The artistic masterpieces of Florence are world famous (the Duomo, the David, the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, etc.). The whole city is like an open-air museum. Bologna is also an important center of culture and art but lacks a "masterpiece" to attract tourists en masse. Its artistic and architectural importance is based on the homogeneous make-up of the town as a whole (Medieval towers, buildings, churches, and the streets themselves), which grew out of an important architectural and artistic history. A point for FLORENCE!

NIGHTLIFE: Florence gradually gets more deserted at night, while Bologna begins its second life. There is a wide variety of things to do, from clubs to theaters and cinemas. The squares and streets are lively until late, especially on weekends. A point for BOLOGNA!

ATMOSPHERE:  Florence strikes you immediately with its charm and beauty, while the charm of Bologna is less obvious. You have to discover it slowly, as you walk through town. I think of Florence as a beautiful, elegant woman, while Bologna is a rotund old aunt, smiling but maybe a bit gruff, wearing an apron and always busy cooking since "there’s always someone we can invite to dinner, no?" Florence is packed with tourists, while Bologna is crammed with students. For me, Bologna is still a more livable city, with a more relaxed pace, where tradition and transgression co-habit. Florence is more chic, elegant, proud, haughty and dressed-up, so is less tolerant of anything out of the ordinary. A point for BOLOGNA!

And the winner by a nose is….. BOLOGNA!!

And if you're curious to hear that strange Bolognese dialect, listen to this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xuRp2HkdlA