For this trip to Rome, we chose to stay in an apartment located on Piazza San Cosimato.  For us, it was an ideal location.  From there, we could easily walk to our usual spots, where we normally met friends, etc.  And, being next to a hospital, the piazza was normally quiet during the evening hours,…

As you make your way up the hill, the sets of stairs in the portico become more frequent, until you reach the end, where it resembles one long staircase with wide landings placed every so often.   Suddenly, you begin to make out the outline of a crucifix, at the top of the stairs.  You have…

The journey uphill begins at the Arco del Meloncello.  Designed by the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti in 1714, the arch was built so that pilgrims could safely make their way up to the sanctuary, without having to worry about crossing the street, at a point where two busy roads come together. A plaque in the…

On Via Riva di Reno, behind the former Manifattura Tabacchi, you will find the Parco 11 Settembre, which remembers the terrorist attacks in the USA, on that fateful day in 2001. A plaque on a building, now occupied by the University of Bologna, pays tribute to Fabio Roversi Monaco, who held the position of rector…

Walking past the picture painted on the grating shown in the photo above, I could not help but wonder if there was a shop of some kind right behind it, and just what it was they could possibly sell.  I have said this before, and I am going to say it again: Walking the streets…

Throughout its history, Bologna has been circled by three different sets of walls.  We stumbled upon what is considered to be a portion of the third set of defensive walls, built between 1327 and 1390. The Santuario del Corpus Domini is on Via Tagliapietre, #23.  It dates from the 14th century, but the building was…

You will find the Caserma Enrico Cialdini, or the Enrico Cialdini Barracks, on Via Urbana, #8.  The building dates from 1486, when it was the seat of the Cinobio delle Clarisse di Santa Caterina de’ Vigri.  The space was taken over by Napoleon’s army from 1812 through 1816, who used it as barracks.  In 1866,…

Bologna is lined with porticoes.  In inclement weather, one can walk from one end of the city to the other, only getting wet when crossing the streets.  Some of the porticoes also have art in the form of frescoes, painted in their lunettes.  I always feel blessed, whenever I am lucky enough to see them,…

In the middle of the street, in Piazza Malpighi, you will find the Colonna dell’Immacolata.  The copper statue of the Madonna, at the top of the column, dates from 1638, and is the work of the artist, Giovanni Tedeschi, based on a design by Guido Reni. Approaching the Basilica di San Francesco, at the edge…

We awoke to a bright, sunny day, and so, immediately after breakfast, we set out to explore more of the city.  A plaque on the facade of the building, at Via Nosadella, #45, reminds the passersby that the structure once housed the Convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli. On Via Sant’Isaia, #16, a plaque marks…

The Casa Berò, also known as the Casa dei Carracci, dates from the 16th century, and can be found at Via Rolandino, #1.  This house is considered a good example of Renaissance civil architecture. A plaque on the facade pays tribute to the Berò family, and to the architects who renovated the building later. On…

“Explore Bologna like a local,” the sign said, and that is just what we were going to do!  We would do it on foot, though. The Oratorio dello Spirito Santo is on Via Val d’Aposa, #6.  It dates from 1481.  For me, the most interesting feature of the church’s facade were the five medallions depicting…