Day 357 – EU – Italy [Rest Day in Bologna]

27/03/21

 Rest day in Bologna (Italy, Europe)

A stunning city with its famous endless porticoes, amazing architecture and delicious food

Porticoes of Bologna

What a stunning city! I didn’t know much about porticoes before walking around town today. I used to call these “arcades”. As it turns out there are over 40kms of porticoes throughout Bologna. I headed to Piazza Maggiore. The place is flanked by the city hall, a basilica, courthouse and banking centre – all in 15th century building style and among all this, as if it were not magnificent enough, the fountain of Neptune. What else..!

Fountain of Neptune, Plazzia Maggiore

Though as I looked at the fountain of Neptune, I could not help but wonder if that could still happen nowadays. How about a Cardinal ordering a piece of art in honour of a newly elected Pope (Pius IV). And the artist, Tomasso Laureti, going: “I’ll sculpt a 3m tall naked man with a trident in his hand and at the bottom of the statue, I’ll have four naked women sitting down pressing their breasts with water coming out of them”. Not sure.. But the statue remains a beautiful neoclassical piece of art, no doubt about that!

Bologna delicacies

I also made sure to try the local delicacies. This is the most pasta I’m eating since the journey started, I’m not much of a pasta eater. But I could not resist all the handmade varieties, the gnocchis, tortellinis, tagliatelle and the famous Bologna sauce or “al ragu” as it is called here. Not mentioning the ham specialities. It is striking that the supermarkets here have double the number of cheese and meat alleys as anywhere else!