Bologna
Bologna is the perfect city for a relaxing and cheap city-break. The local airport is served by low-cost flights from Romania, and the city of one million inhabitants, capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, has a special retro charm, marked by the elegance characteristic of northern Italy, combined with a rich historical past. throughout the ages as an important cultural and economic hub of Italy, being led, in different eras, by Etruscans, Celts or Romans. Today, the city has a consistent financial sector, a centuries-old university tradition and a plethora of monuments, museums and other edifices, which fascinate both architecturally and culturally.
Tourist Attractions: Leaning Towers Asinelli and Garisenda
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is not the only leaning tower in Italy that attracts the attention of tourists. Bologna has not one, but two leaning towers, and would have had many more had they not collapsed in the course of history. The two main examples (there are others), symbols of this Emilian city, are called Asinelli and Garisenda, are located next to each other and are named after the important noble families (and rivals) who built them, between 1109 and 1119.
Piazza Maggiore and Piazza Nettuno
Piazza Maggiore and Piazza Nettuno seem to be the places where all the people of Bologna meet. Located next to each other, the two squares have a special charm, being marked by the architecture that defines them. For example, Neptune's fountain, in the square of the same name, is the 16th century creation of the artist Giambologna, being one of the most beautiful fountains of this period.
Basilica of Saint Petronius
This immense structure, which is, according to some statistics, the 10th largest church in the world, is an unmissable presence in the center of Piazza Maggiore. Dedicated to Saint Petronius, otherwise the spiritual father of the city of Bologna, San Petronio is built in a pure Gothic style, notable for the size of the edifice and the unfinished facade. Built between 1388 and 1479, the church was never really finished, and its frontispiece presents itself in a downright bizarre way: the lower half is made of colored marble, and the upper half has remained "bare", being visible the bricks of rust. Inside, the church is monumental – huge, marble columns, adorned with decorations that seem to have been there forever, to which is added the main altar that is revealed to you as you move forward in the central interval.
Santuario di Madonna di San Luca
One of the oldest churches in Bologna, the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca was started in 1194 and only finished in 1765. The church is located on the top of Monte della Guardia from where, once you reach it, you have enchanting cityscapes. The main building includes the central basilica, which uses orange/pink materials, "matched" to the green domes, in a style considered to be part of the Baroque. Inside, the sanctuary has an abundance of decorations and detailed frescoes depicting important religious scenes. Moreover, there is also an icon of the Virgin Mary, which is said to have been painted by the evangelist Luke himself.
