Destination: BOLOGNA, ITALY

WHEN TO VISIT BOLOGNA

THINGS TO SEE IN BOLOGNA

• Museo Civico Archeologico (Archaeological Museum). In the building of an old hospital a comprehensive collection of antiquities. Examples from: Egyptian civilazation –(mummies and sarcophagi,) Iron age Villanova culture, artifacts from Etruscan Velzna, funerary art, terracotta urns, ancient vases a items from Roman times. Don't miss the bronze Certosa jar which is over 1,500 years old.

• Jewish Museum. Located in the area of the former ghetto.

• Gallery of Modern Art of Bologna - Piazza Costituzione, 3. Open 10:00-18:00 Tuesday–Sunday, closed on Mondays.

• Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna (National Picture Gallery). Containing the cities's most important art. The gallery houses works by many major Italian artists. Open: Tuesday to Sunday – 09:00 to 19:00 free for children under 18.

• The University Museums,

• The Museo Navale (Naval Museum) – 18th-century model warships (some very large) and collections of early maps.

• The Museum of Military Architechture – models of Bologna's fortifications.

• Museo Ostetrico (Obstetric Museum)

• The Museo Aldovrandi – the collections of the Renaissance naturalist Ulisse Aldovrandi;

• Museo della Specola. Occupies the Specola, the astronomical tower built in the beginning of XVIII-century over Palazzo Poggi. Tours begins at the following hours for groups of 15 people maximum.

• Museo di Antropologia. Bones, and artifacts of prehistoric Italians.

• Museo di Mineralogia. Rocks, precious stones, rare minerals and meteorites.

• Museo di Anatomia Patologica. Studies of human and animal deformities.

• Museum of Giorgio Morandi

• Collezioni Comunali d'Arte

• Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna

• Museo Civico Medievale Via Manzoni
• Museo Di Fisica Via Irnerio
• Pinacoteca Nazionale Via Belle Arti
• Museo Dello Studio dell'Ottavo
• Museo Degli Studenti E Della Goliardia Via Zamboni;
• Museo Marsili Via Zamboni;
• Museo Indiano Via Zamboni;
• Collezione Cospi Via Zamboni;
• Museo Delle Cere Anatomiche Via Zamboni;
• Museo Delle Navi;

• Torre degli Asinelli (Tower of the Asinelli) and Torre dei Garisenda (Tower of the Garisenda) - Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. Main symbols of Bologna. Torre degli Asinelli (built between 1109 and 1119) is 97.20 metres tall (330 feet), with 498 steps and an incline of 1.3 meters (4 feet). Torre dei Garisenda (closed to the public)is 47 m (162 feet) tall and has a lean of over 3m (10 feet). Both were built in the 12th century. Open: daily, 09:00 to 18:00 €3 to climb Torre degli Asinelli.

• Palazzo Comunale. Bologna's city hall, with a very rich collection of Renaissance paintings, sculptures and antique furniture, is a 14th-century palazzo. Don't miss its enormous main staircase, which was designed to be used by horse drawn carriages.

• Tombe dei Glossatori (The Glossatori tombs) Piazza San Domenico e Piazza Malpighi. Named for the lawyers who used to add glosses (aka: notes) to documents. The tombs, which date from the end of the 13th century, are home to many Bologna's famous scholars.

• Basilica di San Luca (St. Luke's Basilica) Located on the Colle della Guardia (Guardia hill). Built in mid-18th century, offers a panoramic view of the City, and can be reached by walking along the 666 archs of its unique portico. It has a peculiar layout, being of round shape. A widely city-know icon, the Madonna di San Luca, is held there.

• Giardini Margherita (Margherita Gardens) - Viale Gozzadini. Bologna's main park created in 1875. The chalet converts to a nightclub in the summer evenings.

• Parco Montagnola - Piazza VIII Agosto. Public park since the 17th century. Much of the current landscaping comes from the early 19th century. The pond in the centre of the park was added in 1888.

• Orto Botanico (Botanical Gardens). Created in the mid-16th century for medicinal herbs. Currently the second largest park in the city the Botanical gardens are home to over 5,000 plant species. Some of the highlights include a full-grown sequoia, and a greenhouse for cacti and canvivourous plants.

• Villa delle Rose. Donated to the city in 1916 the gardens were originally owned by the Cella family. The 18th-century Villa delle Rose, which was the Cella's residence, hosts art exhibitions throughout the year.

• Villa Guastavillani - Via degli Scalini. Designed and built by Tomasso Martelli in the 16th century.

• Villa Spada. On the grounds of the Palazzo Ravone an 18th century villa, it was opened to the public in 1970.

• Parco Cavaioni. A large park featuring meadows, fields, wooded areas, and a lake.

• Certosa. City's main cemetery with beautifully carved tombstones, built over the ruins of an ancient Etrusan necropolis.

THINGS TO DO IN BOLOGNA

• The "Estragon", in Parco
• Nord, a big ex-industrial hangar, features dj-sets and concerts by international rock bands almost every night.
• The "Link", recently moved outside the city, is a large, 2-floor club that features mostly avantgarde electronic, techno and hip-hop gigs and dj-sets. A little book shop, mainly on "alternative" subjects, can be found inside.
• The "XM24" is an occupied ex-agricultural market located in Via Fioravanti 24. Punk-hc, rock and electronic concerts are often featured. A good and very cheap place, if you don't mind the punk atmosphere.
• The "Livello 57", just under the bridge of Via Stalingrado is now only seldomly opened, and it mainly features raves and techno gigs in an industrial, darkish atmosphere.
• The "TPO", in Viale Lenin, is another occupied location that mostly features experimental music festivals and rock concerts.
• The "Kindergarten", in Via Calzoni, next to the "Fiera", is a recently opened club that features punk and new wave concerts.
• Il Covo: rock club