Bologna Travel Guide

Bologna's Two Towers are the emblem of the red-brick city, raised by rival medieval families eager to out-build each other. The taller Asinelli reaches about 97 metres and served as watchtower and prison; the shorter Garisenda leans markedly from unstable ground and was written into Dante's Divine Comedy. From the top of the Asinelli you sweep over Bologna's endless red rooftops and the flat Po Valley beyond.

Piazza Maggiore is the heart of Bologna, enclosed by San Petronio Basilica, the Neptune Fountain, the Palazzo Comunale and continuous porticoes. Red brick and warm stone glow in the sun, while buskers, markets and café tables weave authentic Italian piazza life. The bronze Neptune is the inevitable photo spot, and the porticoes offer shelter from both rain and sun.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca crowns a hill outside Bologna, guarding a Madonna icon attributed to St Luke himself. The world's longest covered walkway — some 3.8 km of porticoes — winds from the city to its door, and pilgrims and hikers ascend sheltered from sun and rain; at the top they survey Bologna and the rolling hills, where faith meets panorama.

The Basilica of San Petronio stands on Piazza Maggiore in the heart of Bologna and is the city's largest church, dedicated to its patron saint. Begun in the late 14th century, the building was under construction for centuries and its façade was never completed: the lower part is clad in pink and white marble, while the upper section still shows bare brick, and this unfinished look has become its most distinctive feature. Inside, the tall nave holds frescoes by the Renaissance painter Giovanni da Modena, and a meridian line is set into the floor for astronomical observation. Entry is free, and the old square and its markets are right outside.

The Quadrilatero is a historic district in the centre of Bologna, lying between Piazza Maggiore and the Two Towers and named for the roughly square grid of its streets. Since the Middle Ages it has been the city's craft and trade quarter, and today it is filled with food shops, wine bars, butchers, cheese sellers and greengrocers—the most direct way to experience Bologna's food culture. Its narrow lanes are lined with arcades and old shops, densely packed with signs and goods, so it is easy to be drawn along by the market atmosphere. It sits close to Piazza Maggiore, the Fountain of Neptune and the Two Towers, making it a natural stretch of a walk through the old town where you can also buy local ingredients and specialities.