FAQ 🍕

May is one of the best months to visit Bologna, with a mild and pleasant climate, ideal for exploring the historic center on foot. Highs frequently exceed 20-22 °C, perfect for dining outdoors, while nighttime lows rarely drop below 10-12 °C, making the days warm but not muggy, with cool evenings.

We recommend dressing in layers and bringing an umbrella, as spring showers are possible.

The heart of the city is Piazza Maggiore, facing the Basilica of San Petronio, dedicated to the city's patron saint. In addition to the central nave, its grand interior includes six square-plan bays with matching side bays, onto which 22 chapels (rich in works of art) open. Inside the Basilica is also the largest meridian line in the world: Cassini's meridian, completed in December 1657 and 66.8 meters long.

Also on the square stand the Palazzo del Podestà (13th century) with its Renaissance façade, and next to it the Fountain of Neptune designed by Giambologna (1563-66), the Palazzo dei Banchi, and the Palazzo d'Accursio, seat of the City Hall.

Also worth seeing are the famous towers of Bologna, currently closed to visitors due to restoration works: the Torre degli Asinelli (1109-19), commissioned by the Ghibelline nobleman Gherardo Asinelli, stands 97.20 meters tall and has withstood earthquakes and fires over the centuries. Built in the same period by other Ghibelline nobles, Filippo and Oddo Garisendi, the adjacent Torre della Garisenda is mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy in Canto XXXI of the Inferno (on the leaning side, a plaque recalls the poet's verses). Today it stands 48.16 meters tall, as it was lowered in the mid-14th century due to ground subsidence and has been known ever since as the 'stunted tower.'

Finally, one must mention the porticoes and the Sanctuary of San Luca, which can be reached via the longest portico in the world, designed by Francesco Dotti: 3.7 kilometers long, with 666 arches and 15 chapels. Since 1433, every year the Byzantine icon of the Madonna with Child, preserved on the main altar and attributed to Luke the Evangelist, is carried in procession along the portico from the Sanctuary to San Petronio.

Bologna is known as 'la grassa' ('the fat one'), and it's easy to understand why once you get a taste of its rich and varied cuisine, a cultural heritage passed down for generations.

The foundation of Bolognese cooking is fresh egg pasta, which forms the basis for tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini in brodo (strictly handmade, filled with mortadella, prosciutto crudo, and Parmigiano Reggiano), and lasagne verdi alla bolognese, made with green spinach pasta, ragù, and béchamel.

But Bolognese cuisine goes beyond pasta: Mortadella di Bologna IGP is a cured meat unique in the world, Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of cheeses, and boards of cured meats and cheeses served with tigelle filled with squacquerone, or with gnocco fritto, are not to be missed, best enjoyed alongside local wines.