Verano's Recipe of the Day

 

Bologna, a northern Italian city, is the capital of the Province of Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna Region.  The city, originally an Etruscan city, was seized by the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Lombardy, and then the papacy.  It then became part of the kingdom of Sardinia in 1860 and finally became part of the kingdom of Italy in 1861.  Bologna is situated on a fertile plain at the foot of the Apennine Mountains.  The city also serves as a major transportation center and agricultural market.  Also, trade and travel are fostered because Bologna is the meeting place of the principal roads and railways connecting northern Italy with the Tyrrhenian and southern Adriatic coasts.  There are many sites of interest for tourists in Bologna, especially in the Middle Age and early Renaissance sections of the city.

The sites of interest in Bologna are the Gothic church of San Petronio, ffacing the Piazza Maggiore.  Construction of the church began in 1390, however, construction was never completed.  Tourists can also visit the church of San Domenico, built in 1221 (altered in the first half of the 1700's), and the church of San Francesco, built in 1236.  The church of San Francisco was damaged in World War II and was repaired.  Tourists can also visit the many museums in the city.  The city is also home to the University of Bologna

Traditionally, Bologna was a center of learning and culture in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.  Between the 15th and 17th centuries, painters such as Annibale Carracci, Domenichino, and Guido Reni lived and worked in Bologna.  The city flourished.  The traces of this Age can be seen in the center of the city.  The buildings here are constructed of warm-colored brick and stucco.  There are small shops and cobbled streets.  In addition, there are numerous piazzas to visit.  There are many museums and galleries containing artifacts of Bologna's history, which are open to tourists.  Surrounding the older section of the city is a modern suburb.

Population:

404,378 (1991).

Commerce and Industry:

Manufacturing of farm machinery, steel, processed food, motor vehicles, and chemicals.

Educational and Publishing center

Museums of painting, archaeology, and Etruscan artifacts.

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Tour of Northern Italian Dining