The city of the two towers, nicknamed for its two medieval towers, Asinelli Y GarisendaIt is also a movie-goer city. An essential task takes place here: the recovery of cinematographic heritage by the prestigious Cineteca of Bologna. To celebrate the restoration of classic films, every summer a cinema is screened in Piazza Maggiore at dusk within the cycle The Rediscovered Cinema, which brings essential films and, on occasions, their directors and protagonists to the heart of the town. In its nearby headquarters of the Re Enzo palace, the cineteca has installed its bookstore, and to attend screenings during the non-summer months the institution has the cine Lumière.

If we could only visit one museum in Bologna, which one would we go to? Without a doubt, MAMBo, the contemporary art museum that spreads its friendly tentacles through different venues. Almost all of Giorgio Morandi’s work can be found at the one at number 14, Via Minzoni. His still lifes, recognizable by their subdued colors and bottles, are loquacious. After seeing his work, it is inevitable to be curious about the workshop where the painter worked conscientiously, at 36 Via Fondazza, now converted into a museum and belonging to the MAMBo.

This is also one of the cities in Europe where the traditional shopping landscape it stays alive. Even if we are just passing through, it is worth visiting their bakeries and fresh pasta shops such as Atti, where the tortellini and his older brothers, the tortelloni, they are serious thing. In deli (deli) of a lifetime as Simoni The Tamburini there is the ubiquitous mortadella, sometimes huge in size. And, if we do not want to abandon the good traditions, we must dine in restaurants such as Donatello The Diana. In the latter, his famous mixed boiled meat (the equivalent of stew or stew) is served to diners from a cart.

Passion for books

To buy quality Italian products, Eataly is the paradise. Installed in an old multi-storey market, it shares space with the huge bookshop Coop Ambassadors, since bibliophilia is commonplace in the city where Umberto Eco he was a teacher for decades. To be dropped by the old Nanni bookstore, the oldest (dating back to 1825), with its posts in the Via de ‘Musei always sheltered under porches, it is another delight. So is visiting the Archiginnasio libraryInside the palace of the same name, a 16th century architectural treasure where you can admire its heraldic frescoes painted on ceilings and walls, a huge collection of incunabula and its anatomical theater, where dissections took place in medicine classes.

Let’s not forget about music, because due to its link with this art, UNESCO considers it a city of music. From singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla to former masters like the countertenor Farinelli and the composer Rossini, Bologna had (and has) such a musical tradition that the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart He came to her in 1770 to study with the composer Giuseppe Martini. The Bolognese musical history is revived in the International Music Museum, where you can see manuscripts, scores, curious documents and instruments of all kinds.

Anyone who needs to get away from the historic center in search of unexpected corners has to walk through Bolognina. Across from the train station, this historic working class neighborhood it sounds more and more in the conversations of the neighbors due to its alternative and diverse environment. Its facades with numerous murals and political slogans are readable material to see how the city pulses. And his Francesco Albani covered market, installed along the street of the same name, it perfectly sums up the identity of the neighborhood in its various stalls.

To feast on Bolognina you have to go to The delicacies of Nonna Aurora (Via Fioravanti, 45). It is a family restaurant and as such, the fishing trophies of one of the owners grace the walls naturally. Here they serve the famous Bolognese sauce – originally called ragú – whose appearance and taste are much more appetizing than other versions of the famous dish.

Moving further away from the center we find a treasure that surprises both foreigners and residents: it is the MAST foundation, a museum opened in 2013 and focused on technology, art and innovation. Its building, designed by the architecture studio Labics, leaves as speechless as his exhibitions of photography and contemporary art. A place that is difficult to leave.