BOLOGNA

Brick buildings, Medieval palaces, Porticoed Streets
Capital of the province of the same name and of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna is situated in the Pedemontana Apennine zone, where the valley of the Reno opens out to the Emilia plain. Bologna is an important commercial center, both for the agricultural richness of the adjacent plain and for its position as a crossroad between major directions of national traffic (Florence-Bologna-Milan, Florence-Bologna-Brenner, Florence-Bologna-Venice and Rimini-Bologna-Milan). The industrial component, whose notable sectors are mechanics, food, and shoemaking, are of special importance. Handsome brick buildings, medieval palaces, and porticoed streets together with enchanting leaning towers of Asinelli and Garisenda

Historical Background
An ancient Iberian-Ligurian settlement, in the 6th century BC it became an Etruscan town, with the name of Felsina. In 189 BC the Romans re-baptised it Bonomia. In the Middle Ages it followed the fortunes of the Ravenna military and, after various dominations, it became a free Comune around the year 1000. At the end of the 11th century the celebrated University was founded. This soon attracted students from all over Europe. Bologna and Paris can in fact call themselves the cultural capitals of Medieval Europe. "The Studio" (as the university seat was called), by imperial privilege, constituted in the 12th century almost a town unto itself, with autonomous rights and independent magistrates. The complex of 10 000 students was divided in two principal associations: the university of the "citra-montani," or Italians, and that of the "oltra-montani" (over the mountains, or foreigners). An idea of the importance of the Unversity of Bologna can be given by the fact that this was where the re-birth of Roman law was proclaimed.

Between the 13th and the 14th centuries, the city went through a period of major flourishing and development, followed then by long subjection to the Church State, which lasted until the 19th century. After having favorably received Napoleonic dominion, it vainly hoped to revive its independence through the Congress of Vienna. It then became the center of the movement of liberal sects that acted in Romagna, until in 1831 it became the capital of the United Provinces. There was an uprising in 1848, and it pushed out the Austrians at Montagnola.