by Giuseppe Zappala` 

Next to Palazzo`s Accursio, like a sort of continuation of the building towards Via Rizzoli, on Piazza del Nettuno, an extraordinary edifice, the former Sala Borsa, was reconstructed a few years ago. In the past this was the place where wheat prices were negotiated, then it housed the municipal archives; today it is home to the municipal multimedia library that enjoys a fascinating atmosphere, created by the Liberty style of the internal decorations and glass floor through which Bologn`s ruins from centuries past can be seen: Etruscan, Roman, Medieval!

Behind Palazzo dei Banchi unfolds the famous and popular Mercato di Mezzo. The streets, always buzzing with life and lined with numerous shops, offer most of the region`s gastronomic specialties: the renowned Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan), Prosciutto di Parma (Parma Ham), mortadella and tortellini, as well as many more delicacies of the rich and savoury local cuisine. But there are also fashion bars, boutiques for clothes and fancy houseware.

A short walk will bring you onto Bologna`s (probably) most beautiful square: Piazza Santo Stefano with its Sette Chiese (Seven Churches). It is an original complex where each church is linked and adjoins the next and which dates back to the period from the 5th C all the way to the 13th C. Today only four churches survive. The idea, it is said, was that the complex would replicate the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Bologna`s longest commercial street, Via Indipendenza, starts from Piazza Nettuno and leads straight to the railway station, which is one of the most important in Italy. Somewhere around its middle, after Piazza Garibaldi, to the right it comes out onto the spacious Piazza VIII Agosto where every Friday and Saturday morning an open-air market is being held all the way to Montagnola, a place that has been of major significance for the city`s history and is now a garden. The market offers clothes, shoes, pots and pans, houseware, some from Africa and Asia. It could be said that this market is one of the oldest pieces of evidence of the city`s social life in the past, inasmuch as these stalls offered absolutely everything, and walking amid the crowd and the crying merchants was (and for many is still today) an irrevocable habit.

Over the past few years the municipal authorities have taken a decision to uncover, in the true sense of the word, some watercourses that still run under the city and which used to be hidden for years. Bologna used to be traversed by channels that served as a means of communication with other cities in Emilia-Romagna and whose waters provided the energy needed for the operation of a number of factories producing metals, textiles (silk), paper and leather. In the summer one can go and see the underground network of channels thanks to the association of the friends of Bologna`s underground waterways (Associazione Amici delle vie d’Acqua e dei Sotterranei di Bologna).

If you visit the local Picture Gallery in Bologna`s Via delle Belle Arti, in turn, you can see works by Ludovico, Annibale and Agostino Carracci, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (also known as Guercino) and Guido Reni. The city boasts a number of other museums including: Archaeological Museum, Medieval History Museum, Museum of Music and MAMbo (Bologna`s Modern Arts Museum).

In the summer, a huge screen is mounted on Piazza Maggiore screening recent films but also masterpieces featuring Charlie Chaplin (the rich local film centre boasts having restored the old films of The Tramp). Piazza Santo Stefano is also a stage for theatrical performances, as well as classical and modern music performances. One can even see a performance of the dialect theatre!

Many singers, musicians, actors and film directors actually live and work in Bologna. The city is often chosen as a set to shoot features and short films. Many TV productions have also used the city decors for some of their scenes. For decades Jazz has been at home in Bologna.

Bologna is also considered the capital of Italian basketball with its two top rivals: Virtus and Fortitudo. It is also one of the few Italian cities that have strong baseball and football teams.
The motorcycle factory of 2007 World Champion Ducati is on the outskirts of the city. But if you cannot be easily satisfied with motorcycles alone and you are a true fan, then you can visit Ferrari, whose factory is in Maranello, south of Modena. You can visit the museum showcasing the glorious racing cars of the automaker. Only for your information I will add that Maserati and Lamborghini also have their homes in the region (the former in Modena, and the latter in a small town to the northwest of Bologna).

Bologna also boasts a very lively night life, food places or simply places where you can drink a glass of wine, a beer or an excellent cafe at espresso. I am offering you a list of my personal favourites among the places that celebrate culinary delights. Of course, these are just suggestions but I do hope that it might provide an occasion to titillate your palate and taste buds.

Bologna is abundant. Bologna is learned. Bologna was the European City of Culture in 2000. It was declared at Creative City of Music by UNESCO. Bologna was also one of the first European cities to have a civic network on Internet (Iperbole). Bologna – a city which does not reveal all its wonders at first glance but has a hidden beauty to be unveiled with patience, in an atmosphere of pleasant warmth in the contacts with its amiable and communicative inhabitants.

I could continue to write more about this city, but I believe that the best thing to do would be to visit it yourself and stay over for a few days.
The city is definitely worth it!

Municipal website:
www.comune.bologna.it
The Tourist Information Centre is housed by the Palace of the Podestà opposite the San Petronio Basilica, in Piazza Maggiore. At the Emporio della Cultura (Cultural Shop), which is also found in the same building, one can book for different visits or shows.

Restaurants:
Ciacco,
Al Caminetto d`Oro www.caminettodoro.it
Marco Fadiga Bistrot www.marcofadigabistrot.it
All`Osteria Bottega,
Al Cambio,
Il Sole (outside Bologna, in Trebbo di Reno, before Castelmaggiore).

Jazz Restaurants:
Cantina Bentivoglio www.cantinabentivoglio.it
Chet Baker Club www.chetbaker.it

Bars:
Terzi www.caffeterzi.it
Aroma www.ilpiaceredelcaffe.it
Canton de` Fiori,
Zanarini,
Calderoni,
Impero,
Gran Cafe at,
Caffetteria Louisita

Confectioner`s Shop:
Gino Fabbri/La Caramella (just outside the city, next to the Granarolo Dairy)

Typical Tavern:
Osteria del Sole (in the area known as il Quadrilatero or il Mercato di Mezzo; maybe the last real traditional tavern where only wine is served but you can bring your own food)

Outdoor Restaurant:
Sandoni (outside the city, on the way to San Lazzaro but on the side of the so-called Stradelli Guelfi)

Gastronomy:
Tamburini www.tamburini.bo.it
Zaratini,
Serra Tamerlani

Wine Cellars:
Enoteca Italiana www.enotecaitaliana.it
Divinis www.divinis.it
Godot Wine Bar www.godotwine.it
Drogheria Calzolari,
Cafe at Bazar.

Ice-cream Parlours:
Sorbetteria Via Castiglione,
Cremeria Funivia www.cremeriafunivia.com
Gianni www.gelatogianni.com
Il Gelatauro www.gelatauro.com
Stefino www.stefino.com
Scirocco www.cremeriascirocco.it

End of the Bologna guide

The Bologna photos has been provided by Nicolas Lévy and Giuseppe Zappalà.

More about the region of Emilia Romagna:
Discover even more about what the region of Emilia Romanga, where Bologna is located, has to offer and find out what your fellow travelers recommend to see and visit at http://www.italytravelnotes.com/category/emilia-romagna/

by Dave Fooder

Italian dishes are some of the tastiest preparations in the world. Along with including various healthy ingredients like fresh vegetables and grains, a large number of Italian recipes are served best with different types of specialized sauces and condiments. Among the rest, meat sauces, prepared in a variety of ways, form some of the most common parts of a variety of Italian recipes. From pastas and spaghetti preparations to lasagna and meatballs, meat sauces are served with a wide variety of Italian dishes.

Italy is a land of variety. Although people from other countries tend to identify all Italian recipes as belonging to one common land of origin, in truth every Italian region, every city has its own culinary specialties. Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is a special form of meat sauce that can be served along with a wide range of Italian cuisines. Among the rest, Ragu alla Bolognese is one of the most famous types of Italian meat sauce. Prepared with beef or a combination of beef and pork, you can use Tagliatelle alla Bolognese along with a wide variety of main dishes.

The main ingredients required for preparing Tagliatelle alla Bolognese are ground chuck, ground pork, ground veal, finely chopped onions, carrots and celery stalk. You will also require tomato paste, meat broth, olive oil, half a cup heavy cream, fresh tagliatelle pasta and salt and pepper according to taste.

The first step in preparing Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is to cook the beef, veal, pork and pancetta in olive oil until the meat turns brown. After removing the additional fat, you are required to add the carrots, onions and celery. When the vegetables soften, you should add the tomato paste and meat broth and cook until al the broth evaporates. You need to add three cups of broth and repeat the process three times until the sauce obtains a thick consistency. You will then need to add the cream and simmer the preparation. After seasoning with salt and pepper, you need to cook the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese in salted water till the preparation becomes dense. Served with pasta or spaghetti, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese adds its own distinct charm to every Italian preparation.

About the author:
Dave Fooder runs a premiere exchange recipes network online. Visit his site http://www.cookscentral.com for Fast Free & Easy Cooking Coll ections and enjoy exchanging recipes.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

More about Bologna and its delicacies:
Discover even more about what the region of Emilia Romanga and Bologna have to offer you in terms of tipical dishes and delicacies here: http://www.italytravelnotes.com/2007/11/14/everything-you-need-to-know-and-enjoy-bologna-part-2/

by Giuseppe Zappala`

While on a visit to Bologna a friend of mine from abroad was really struck by the distinctiveness of the city, wondering why it was not a more popular destination for foreign tourists.

He believes Bologna merits more than a fleeting weekend. It definitely is worth it! To tell the truth, Bologna enjoys much bigger fame around the world than it is believed. Its name is synonymous with gastronomy even if it is being associated with a specialty whose origins can hardly be traced back to Bologna: the (unfortunately) famous Spaghetti Bolognese. And they have nothing of the Bolognese in them.

It is the mortadella, lasagna and tortellini (whose origins are being disputed by a number of other localities in Emilia-Romagna) that actually originate from Bologna.

Bologna is undoubtedly known for its University, the oldest on the continent. It was founded in 1088 and is an institution of great importance for the city, which takes up different premises in the centre but also on the city`s outskirts.

But let us get back to the start, to the point where the visitor nearing the city spots from afar the outlines of an imposing construction, sited atop a hill, to the city`s south. This is the Basilica of San Luca, a sort of beacon for travellers, which signals from a distance that they are about to enter the city of Bologna (whose ancient Etruscan name was Felsina).

The Basilica is the sanctuary of the image of the Madonna col Bambino (The Virgin with the Baby). The legend tells that in the 15th C the heavy never-ending rains threatened to spoil the harvest and fears were mounting of a famine. In an attempt to exorcize this danger, the image of the Madonna was brought down to the city in a solemn procession and the sun miraculously appeared in the sky. From then onwards once a year, before Ascension Day, a procession is organized and the image of the Madonna is brought down from the San Pietro Cathedral, along the several-hundred-metre-long arcade which slowly ascends towards Mount Guardia. And every year (or almost every year) it rains!

If one is to choose something that could define the city`s outlook, it can without a shade of a doubt be the typical porticos (or arcades) of Emilia-Romagna that protect the citizens from any spells of bad weather and allow them to stop and chatter, look at shop windows and calmly wait for the bus to come. And there are kilometres and kilometres of arcades throughout the city.

The capital city of the region of Emilia-Romagna presents the visitor with an architecture that combines the Medieval and Liberty-style buildings.

The main arteries of downtown Bologna branch out from the Two Towers, the most classical local landmark. The towers carry the names of two powerful families who had the towers constructed in the Middle Ages: Asinelli is the taller one, Garisenda the lower one. The towers used to serve as refuges during the fights between the local powers and as a shelter for hoarding their possessions (mainly food). Bologna boasted an impressive number of towers in the Middle Ages.

Now a few words about the main streets in the city centre. Bologna`s Via Rizzoli starts from the Two Towers leading shortly out onto Piazza Nettuno which features a statute of the God of Sea, sculptured by a Flemish sculptor called Jean de Bologne or Gianbologna. From the square one can get to the spectacular Piazza Maggiore, overlooked by buildings such as the imposing Basilica San Petronio (Patron Saint of the city) at whose construction started in 1390, only to be completed in 1663. It was likely to become the biggest place of cult for the Catholic Church, but then Pope Pius IV opposed the idea (at the time Bologna was part of the Papal States). Another landmark building is Palazzo d`Accursio, whose original edifices date back to 13th and 14th C and is today the city`s Town Hall. It also houses the Museum named after Bologna`s famous 20th C painter Giorgio Morandi. Palazzo Re Enzo, Palazzo dei Notai and Palazzo dei Banchi complete the suggestive scenario, evoked by a very rich Medieval history.

end of part 1

The Bologna photos has been provided by Nicolas Lévy and Giuseppe Zappal`.

More about the region of Emilia Romagna:
Discover even more about what the region of Emilia Romanga, where Bologna is located, has to offer and find out what your fellow travelers recommend to see and visit at http://www.italytravelnotes.com/category/emilia-romagna/

By Denise Hummel

When North American travelers think of historic Italian cities, they often think of Florence, Rome, and Venice. But for those who know the real Italy, there are other incalculable riches. One such treasure is the town of Ferrara, protected by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage list as a priceless example of a living, breathing work of Renaissance art. A vast portion of the town survives from the middle ages and in the off-season, before the arrival of eager tourists, a quiet morning walk in the pedestrian center along the cobble-stoned streets and brick and stone palazzos will bring you back hundreds of years to a less complicated existence.

Our hotel, aptly named, the “Ferrara,”(39)-0532-20.50.48, is in the historical center in the main piazza overlooking the Castello Estense an imposing 14th century castle and the symbol of power and refinement of Ferrara’s historical presence. There could be no better base for a visit of the town. In addition to enjoying our comfortable room, robe, slippers, and breakfast buffet, we were able to borrow the complimentary hotel bicycles to join the ranks of towns people who generally use the bicycle to get around. We used the opportunity to “ride the wall.” Ferrara is surrounded by a fortification “wall” which is now used as a strolling, jogging, and bicycle path where eleven kilometers of exercise can be enjoyed while looking down upon the sights of the town.

The region of Emilia Romagna is known world-wide for its food, and our dinner at the Big Night Ristorante (+39 0532 242 367), a restaurant that shares an entrance and collaborative relationship with the hotel, was no exception. We ate a crostata salata di ricotta, which is a ricotta pie topped with grilled radicchio. This was followed by pasticcio di macaroni alla ferrarese con tartufo, a wonderful macceroni pasta with truffles covered by paper thin and crispy pasta dough. Our second course was filetto di manzo in crosta con punte d’asparagi, crema di Roquefort profumato al tartufo nero, which is a beef fillet in pastry with white asparagus tips, a hint of Roquefort and black truffles. All dishes melted in our mouths and were some of the finest I have tasted. The entire dinner was topped off with a chocolate masterpiece, dolcetto di cioccolato fondente con crema alla vaniglia, gelato di pistachio e curry indiano. If you can picture this, it was a warm chocolate cupcake with a liquid center, with vanilla cream, homemade pistachio ice cream and Indian curry. It would be the one food I would request should I have the misfortune to find myself on death-row some day. The chef, Fabio Zanella, is sure to have been scooped up an aggressive hotelier somewhere else in the world, were it not for the fact that he was born and bred in Ferrara and reluctant to leave.

Ferrara has many other sites, none of which should be missed. They include La Pinacoteca Nazionale (The National Picture Gallery), a home for a panorama of paintings from the mediaeval era to the 18th century and many other beautiful museums. The most heart-rendering, however, and one not to be missed by those exploring their Jewish heritage is that of the Jewish Ghetto, beautifully preserved with its three synagogues. The Jewish community prospered here throughout the 1400s thanks to the particular protection of the Estense dukes who welcomed refugees to the city from other European countries. Later in the 1600s, the community endured taxes and other impositions, restrictions and segregations. Still later, under fascist rule, gates closed off the quarter. The history of these centuries, both beautiful and horrendous is preserved in the walls, the streets, the synagogues and the Jewish museum and serves as an enduring historic monument to all that was endured over the centuries. Much credit must be given to the people of Ferrara for their dedication in preserving it.

Article Source: http://www.articledesk.info

Denise Hummel is a native of New York, who moved to Italy with her husband and children. She directs a public relations/ communications business focused on sustainable tourism called Imagine Communications.

by Clyde Dennis

For someone seeking a European vacation destination they would do well to consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is an area of Italy named for a road that was constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. It like a lot of Italy is known throughout the world for its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine.

A great place to start a tour of the region is Piacenza. A city founded on the Po River by the Etruscans and later went on to become the first Roman military colony. The Piazza dei Cavalli (Square of the Horses) in the city center contains baroque statues of two historic leaders.

Close nearby is a Thirteenth Century Palace, Palazzo del Comune, which was once the site of the city’s government. The Duomo’s (Cathedral) bell tower contains a cage in which troublemakers were imprisoned stark naked and taunted by the crowd below. If you’re one who prefers the arts, you’ll enjoy the bounty of beautiful art and sculptures found throughout the city’s various historical buildings. For instance The Museo Civico (City Museum) contains Etruscan artifacts and a famous Boticelli painting. Art lovers will certainly want to visit the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi for its collection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Italian art.

If your tastes are more Opera oriented you will not want to miss the town Busseto, famous for Guiseppe Verdi, who was actually born in the nearby village of Roncole now renamed Roncole Verdi. Busseto contains the 15th Century Villa Pallavicino where he lived and worked and the Nineteenth Century Teatro Verdi that performs many of his magnificent works.

Another city that is always of great interest among vacationers is the city of Parma. A historic city that has changed hands frequently over the centuries and to this day still maintains a large French influence. Historically Parma is the place from which culinary delights such as Parmesan cheese and Parma ham first originated.

At the center of Parma is Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square). Among the many sights you’ll want to see are the Sixteenth Century church Santa Maria della Steccata and its frescos, the Twelfth Century Duomo (Cathedral) and nearby Battistero (Baptisry), and several other history laden churches and museums. Parma is also known for its opera at the Teatro Regio. Neighboring city Modena is the home to the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

No trip into any region of Italy would be complete without considering it wine. Emilia-Romagna ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 4th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 57% red and 43% white wine. Frankly though, Emilia-Romagna is a region in which the wine is not considered to be as good as the food.

About the Author: www.lifeinitaly.com