AIESEC Italy
LC Bologna
Bologna City
Bologna il located right in the middle of Italy.
It's railstation and airport make it the perfect location to visit all the rest of Italy and Europe as well.
Coming to Bologna you get the chance to visit a whole country.
The city of Bologna, located in northern Italy, has a varied and interesting history that dates back centuries.
First settled by the Etruscans during the 6th century B.C., it was subsequently occupied by the Romans, Lombards and the Papacy, until Italian Unification in 1861.
Each of these ruling entities has left a distinct mark on Bologna, as can be seen from the varied architecture, the wonderful cuisine and the dialect spoken by the city’s inhabitants.
Under the Etruscans this area was known as Felsina.
After the Romans conquered it in 189 B.C., the town became known as Bononia, after the Gallic “Bona.”
With the opening of the Emilian Way, the city became a major crossroads for trade throughout the Roman Empire. Bologna still performs this function today and is a hub of commercial activity. The numerous trade fairs held in Bologna’s exhibition halls include subjects ranging from the latest fashion styles to modem cars, motorcycles and boats
Throughout Italy, Bologna is known by four nicknames, each of which highlights a different aspect of the city.
Bologna la Grassa, literally “Bologna the Fat,” refers to the famous Bolognese food, reputedly the best in all of Italy, as well as to the city’s wealth and prosperity.
The city is also frequently called Bologna la Dotta, meaning “Bologna the Learned.” Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest university in Europe. It includes in the ranks of its alumni such names as Copernicus, Petrarch and Dante. Presently, the University is home to over 90,000 students pursuing degrees in subjects including literature, medicine, the physical sciences and jurisprudence.
Bologna also bears the nickname La Turrita, meaning “City of Towers.” During the late Middle Ages when there was considerable internal fighting among its inhabitants, the city’s skyline was pierced by over 180 towers constructed by its wealthiest and most influential families as statements of power and means of defense. A stroll through picturesque Piazza Maggiore and down Via Rizzoli will lead you to two such towers referred to as the Due Torri. These towers built by the Asinelli and Garisenda families, are the most examples of the monuments that once filled Bologna and are commonly used as symbols of the city.
Finally there is Bologna la Rossa, or “Bologna the Red.” This nickname describes not only the predominant color of the city’s buildings, but also refers to its political history. Except during fascism, Bologna was governed by the left side from 1913 through 1999, and again from 2004 to the present.
