BOLOGNA - A CITY FOR VIVACIOUS PEOPLE
The head office of IMA Schelling Italia in Zola Predosa has a prominent Neighbourhood: The city of Bologna. It is popular with tourists and natives alike - which is not suprising because the city has many faces.
Bologna has multiple names: it is nicknamed “the red” due to the colour of its roofs, “the fat” because of the caloric content of Bologna foods – just think of “Spaghetti Bolognese” – and “the learned” since the oldest university of Europe – founded in 1088 – is situated in Bologna.
Bologna is also called “city of towers”. “Le Due Torri” – the two towers – are one of the symbols of the city. The Torre Garisenda and the Torre Asinelli are indeed not as crooked as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but they are slightly inclined. Having climbed the 498 steps to the top of the Asinelli tower, you will have a fantastic view of the red-roofed city.
The Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica di San Petronio are located at the city centre. With a length of 132.5 m and a ceiling height of 45 m, this church ranks among the ten largest churches worldwide and moreover is the biggest gothic brick church in the world. Another famous building is the Basilika di Santo Stefano which actually consists of seven separate churches. It is the oldest church of the city.
If you don‘t want to expose yourself to the southern sun when walking through Bologna, you can take a trip through the approx. 40 km long arcades. These arcades make Bologna the city with the most roofed alleys worldwide. One of them is heading towards the Basilika di San Luca, the unofficial favourite church of the Bologna inhabitants. Giardini Margherita, the biggest urban park in Bologna, immerses you in an environment of landscape walls alternating with streets.
Time to pop in: the Bolognese kitchen offers miscellaneous and rich meals.
Especially famous are tortellini, lasagne with meat sauce and mortadella. The best way of enjoying the culinary tradition of Bologna is a walk through the streets of the old market, known as the Quadrilatero market.
INSIDER TIP
SILVIA CASTALDINI, IMA SCHELLING ITALIA:
“The Ca‘ La Ghironda (hurdy gurdy house) is the biggest attraction in Zola Predosa. The combination of museum and park is unique because of its art collection from the 16th century forward until today and the 200 sculptures in the botanic garden. If you like you can also spend the night here.”