Emilia-Romagna
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| Due Torri |
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| Neptune Fountain |
As Rome conquered and settled northern Italy along the Po River valley, they constructed a road from Rimini on the Adriatic coast to Piacenza in the interior. Along this road, the Romans had established towns spaced apart by one day's travel (15-20 miles). Bologna and Parma would have been four days apart, with Reggio, Modena and Castelfranco as stopovers. This road, Via Emilia, was named after the Roman consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, when it was completed in 187 BC.
Bologna
Although Bologna is just one city among several that we visited in Italy in May 2026, I chose to give it a dedicated post based on how much there is to see, and how little Bologna is covered by the primary tour books (Rick Steves doesn’t include it at all). Bologna is an under-appreciated tourist destination, and that is a shame because we loved Bologna. It checks all the boxes for a great visit: history, architecture, culture and fantastic food. Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy and has been recognized as the best food destination in Europe; after visiting I would have to agree.
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Emilia-Romagna cuisine map
(from Salumeria Simoni) |
On our first day, we took a food tour of Bologna hosted by Delicious Bologna (link, book direct or through AirBnB or Viator), The tour covered all the foods that Bologna and the Emilia Region are famous for: Parmigiano Reggiano, Tortellini en Brodo, Lasagne with spinach noodles, Mortadella, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello (excellent Salumi), gelato, and of course Sangiovese and Pignoletto wine. Our guide Riccardo was quite enthusiastic, we loved the food, and we learned a lot. Here is a list of the great places we visited on the tour: Caffe Terzi for coffee, Bruno E Franco La Salumeria for prosciutto, Paolo Atti & Figli Panificio bakery, Ceccarelli Amedeo for ham and cheese, several shops along Via Pescheria Vecchie, Enoteca Storica Vini Naturali (100 years old) for wine on Via Altabella, dinner at Ristorante La Salsamenteria (note the link goes to The Fork, which is a good resource to locate and book restaurants, web or app) on Via Altabella, and gelato at Cremeria Mascarella. We stayed at the Royal Hotel Carlton, a good (although dated) hotel between the train station and the old town.
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| Casa Isolani portico |
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| Porticos on Via d-Independenzia |
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| Canal under Via Piella |
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| San Pietro Lamentation |
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| Cattedrale San Pietro |
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| Bologna portico |
We used the Rough Guide for Bologna, which provides something close to a walking tour of the main sites. To start the tour we walked south from our hotel along Via dell Independenza, lined with shops and cafes under the famous porticoes of Bologna, which are collectively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The porticos were added in the 15th and 16th century to provide more space for merchants; today they provide valuable shade from the sun and cover from the rain. There are 25 miles of porticos throughout Bologna! Canals once connected Bologna to the Po River and Venice, providing a valuable trading route for hundreds of years. Most of the canals have been covered over the centuries, but you can still find some of these canals. Near Via Piella 16a is a tiny window that overlooks one of the few remaining canals of Bologna (the “window” might be closed so look carefully, push if open - see this video). Near the base of the Via d’Independenza is the beautiful Bologna Cathedral, not as larger as the Basilica of San Petronio but more ornate. The Cathedral has its own terracotta version of the Lamentation (see Santa Maria della Vita below).
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| Sala Borsa |
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| Neptune Fountain |
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Palazzo Comunale
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| Palazzo Comunale hall |
The tour starts at the iconic meeting place of Piazza del Nettuno and the famous Neptune statue, adjacent to Piazza Maggiore (main square). The Palazzo d’Accursio (also called Palazzo Comunale) is worth touring, with two sets of giant steps leading up to beautiful ceremonial halls decorated with frescoes. To the right is Sala Borsa, the old stock exchange which has an impressive colonnaded atrium with a café (and free WC).
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Basilica di San Petronio
Bolognini chapel Last Judgement |
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Basilica di San Petronio
Bolognini chapel |
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| Basilica di San Petronio nave |
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| Basilica di San Petronio Lamentation |
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| Basilica di San Petronio |
Dominating Piazza Maggiore, the imposing Basilica di San Petronio has an interesting story, which explains why the facade was left half-completed. The local patrons supporting the construction wanted to build a cathedral even larger than Saint Peter’s in Rome. When the Pope learned of this, he cut funding to stop the project. In addition to the façade, the transepts were also truncated, which just leaves a central nave – but it’s still huge! The most interesting site in the basilica is the fourth chapel on the left, the Bolognini Chapel, which is covered in beautiful frescoes from the 15th century, including a very scary Last Judgment scene that should not be missed. Photographs cannot be taken in the chapel, so HERE is a website that provides a closer look.
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Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio
Anatomy Theater |
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Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio
Biblioteca Comunale |
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| Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio |
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| Piazza Galvani |
To the left of the basilica is Piazza Galvani, with a status of the discover of electromagnetics, and electrical impulses in animals. He experimented with frogs, and he is inspecting a frog in his statue. Across the Piazza, Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio is the original home of the University of Bologna, founded in 1088 making it the oldest University in the world! Dating from 1563, the building is beautiful, with a courtyard surrounded by loggia. The Anatomy Theater is particularly interesting, as it launched the modern study of medicine in the 16th century.
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| Osteria del Sole |
Just east of Piazza Maggiore is the Quadrilatero, which is a maze of streets that have been selling produce, meat, cheese and prepared foods since medieval times. We stopped at Osteria del Sole, the oldest bar in Bologna; the simple sign over the door (“Vino”) says it all. We spent most of our food tour here (see above).
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Santa Maria della Vita
Lamentation over the Dead Christ |
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Santa Maria della Vita
Lamentation over the Dead Christ |
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Santa Maria della Vita
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Santa Maria della Vita
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One of the most evocative images we’ve seen in Italy is the terracotta statue Lamentation over the Dead Christ (1463) in Santa Maria della Vita, a gorgeous Baroque church. The emotions depicted on the figures are amazing. In the Oratory, another impressive terracotta statue depicts the burial of Mary (1522). This church is a must-do stop in Bologna.
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| Due Torri |
East of Piazza Maggiore, follow portico-lined Via Rizzoli to the Due Torri, the iconic towers that are among the few remnants of over 200 medieval towers. Both towers tilt dramatically, the massive Torre Asinelli is over 300 feet tall, the shorter Torre Garisenda is undergoing similar restoration as the Tower of Pisa. Just west of the towers is Feltrinelli Books, with a great selection of English language books.
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| Casa Isolani |
Heading east of the towers on Strada Maggiore, San Bartolomeo is a 17th century Renaissance church with an incredible interior, and two paintings worth seeing: Madonna and Child by Guido Reni, and the Annunciation by Francesco Albani. Farther along, Casa Isolani is one of the oldest remaining palaces in Bologna, dating from the thirteenth century; note the original wooden supports for the portico, which were outlawed as a fire hazard in the 1560s (Casa Isolani was “grandfathered in”)! Farther along, the International Museum of Music is very interesting, as much for the collection of ancient musical instruments as for the beautiful palace with frescoed interior.
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Santo Stefano
Basilica of San Sepolcro |
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| Santo Stefano |
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| Santo Stefano altar |
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Santo Stefano
Chiesa del Crocifisso |
Circling back to Casa Isolanti and passing through it leads to Piazza San Stafeno. We had lunch under a portico at one of the trattorias surrounding the square. The major attraction here is the churches of San Stefano, a cluster of four churches, the foundations of which date back to the 5th century. The four churches remaining of the original seven date from the 12th to 15th centuries. Walking through these churches is an incredible experience and should not be missed.
In the University Quarter, we visited the museum in the Poggi Palace, which has interesting collections from the science and medical colleges at the University of Bologna. Astronomical equipment, microscopes, anatomical models for medical training, and other collections from some of the most famous scientists of the 17th and 18th century.
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| Loggie della Mercenzia |
Just south of the Due Torri is Loggia della Mercenzia, the merchant house that has maintained the official specifications and recipes for all local foods in Bologna since medieval times. From there, we walked along Via Castiglione, which was constructed over one of the cities canals in the 17th century. It was once lined with the palaces of the wealthy, now converted into shops, and you pass through one the old tower-gates of the medieval wall along the way. One of those palaces is the Palazzo Popoli, converted into the fascinating Museum of the History of Bologna. In about 75 minutes you get 2500 years of history; it is a great introduction to the city upon arrival. La Sorbetteria Castiglione has exceptional gelato.
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| Basilica di San Domenico |
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| Piazza San Domenico tomb |
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| Piazza San Domenico |
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| San Domenico capella |
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| San Domenico capella |
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| San Domenico head relic |
Just a few blocks east is the impressive Basilica di San Domenico, where the body (and separately the head) of the saint and founder of the Dominican Order are housed as relics. Domenico died here in 1221, and the church was later rebuilt in Baroque style. The body and head of Domenico are housed in a shrine that is incredible, a compilation of many artists including a 19-year-old Michelangelo.
Restaurants in Bologna
Lunch at Sette Chiese Bistrot across from San Stefano was very good, with great views of the church. I had pork Cotoletta with prosciutto de Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, Tammy had tortellini with ricotta, gorgonzola and walnuts in a Parmigiano sauce.
Dinner at Buca Manzoni Osteria and Trattoria was very good, located just a block off Via d’Independenza. They specialize in seasonal selections, which during our visit included pasta fagioli soup and pork shank with potatoes, both excellent. The Tagliatelle alla Bolognese was very good as well.
Near the canal, we tried several times to eat at Trattoria dal Biassanot. There was always a long line – if we visit again, we will make reservations for this very popular restaurant.
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Casa Azzoguidi
wooden portico |
Casa Azzoguidi is a restaurant located in a 13th century palazzo, and it is one of the few examples of the original wooden support beams holding up the portico. These are rare in Bologna, as they were outlawed in the 16th century due to fire hazard. We ate at a table outside, under the portico, and were very impressed with the food quality. My Bolognese cutlet with Parma ham and Parmigiano cheese sauce was excellent, as was Tammy’s Lasagna alla Bolognese.
Practicalities
The Bologna train station is easy to navigate with one important exception: there are two different tracks 1 through 7! I’ve never seen this before. Look for “Binari (tracks) 1-7 ovest (west)”, they are not to be confused with the main set of tracks 1-16 Este (east). On the train monitor, it will indicate the Binari as “4 ovest”, pay attention! Regarding ticketing, if your ticket does not identify a specific train, then it is valid for a period of time (usually 4 hours). These tickets must be validated at the green validation machines on the platform, just insert ticket to get it stamped. In additional to the national train “Trenitalia”, there is a private company “Italo” (link) operating high speed trains between major cities. It’s a great alternative, and competitively priced. It’s best to download the Trenitalia and Italo apps and purchase your tickets through them. During peak times, purchase tickets as far in advance as possible.
Over the years, we have been fortunate to only experience minor delays and inconveniences when traveling by train. On Sunday, May 17 that almost changed. A couple days earlier, we heard an announcement while on a train that a train strike was scheduled to start Sunday at 9pm, lasting until Monday ay 9pm. We had already planned to take a day trip to Genoa on Sunday, returning well before 9pm. What we learned is that major disruptions start before the strike. Our trip to Genoa in the morning was uneventful, but in the afternoon when we returned to the Genoa train station, every train was delayed, some up to 3 hours. It was chaos in the station, and there were hundreds of people on the train platform hoping to squeeze onto any train headed to Milan. We ended up splitting a taxi with two other people for the two hour drive. On a positive note, we got to meet Max from England, living in Romania, and learned about some great places to visit in addition to Bucharest: Sibiu, Brasov, Constanta on the Black Sea, and Zarnesti. We are considering this trip for October 2026 (thanks Max!).
Parma
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| Verdi Opera House |
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| Governor's Palace |
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| Parma yellow houses |
We chose to visit Parma, home to the two most famous elements of Emilia-Romagna cuisine: Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano. Parma is an easy day trip from Bologna. The train follows the ancient Roman Via Emilia, and you pass through the encampments/towns that Rome established one day's journey apart.
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| Horse butcher |
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| Raw horse meat (left) |
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| Prosciutto di Parma |
Our introduction to Parma was through an excellent food tour hosted by Artemelia Private Tours (link), a female-owned specialty tour company. Our guide Giulia was outstanding, providing broad historical context and deep expertise in the specialties of Parma. At I Panini di Pepen, we enjoyed spinach ricotta artichoke Parmigiano pie (Carciofa), and I had the horse tartar with chili sauce (Pesto di Cavallo Crudo); both were delicious. Horse is a delicacy in this region, and there are separate butcher stores for horse meat (it cannot be co-mingled with other meats). At Zambelli Pasticceria (link, you will need to translate on your browser) we had the Duchess Cake, created for the Hapsburg Duchess who ruled Emilia after the death in exile of her husband Napoleon Bonaparte. Then we visited Rastelli Salumeria (salami shop) to taste amazing Prosciutto di Parma (aged 24 and 40 months), Culatello (pig butt) which was our favorite, and other exceptional meats. Lunch at la Cucina del Maestro (named in honor of hometown hero Giuseppe Verdi) included a tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano (aged 24 and 36 months, plus the Red Cow version only available in Italy). All were delicious, especially the Red Cow. For entree we enjoyed the local filled pasta anoloni, which we enjoyed better than the tortellini in Bologna. Gelato at Ciacco Cappelleria wrapped up the tour.
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| Duomo and Baptistry (right) |
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| Duomo altar |
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| Sculpture (1196) |
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| Baptistry fresco |
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| Baptistry interior |
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| Octagonal Baptistry |
After the tour we visited the amazing Duomo with beautiful frescoes on the walls and ceiling, and a sculpture of Christ being lowered from the cross from 1196! The interior of the adjoining Baptistry (completed in 1216) has beautiful frescoes throughout, the exterior is covered in pink Verona marble. Piazza Guiseppe Garibaldi, named after the father of modern Italy (“modern” being 1861), is the social center of Parma, where everyone meets at the cafes lining the square. The Governor’s Palace on the square is impressive, with giant sun dials on the façade. The streets between Piazza Garibaldi and the Duomo are mostly car-free and retain their 15th century charm; all buildings must follow a strict code, each painted the traditional Parma yellow.
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| View of Duomo tower |
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| Parma view |
Modena
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| Modena street |
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| Modena portico |
While Modena is famous for balsamic vinegar, it is also home
to Ferrari and Ducati. There are two Ferrari museums, one includes a factory tour, but we did not have time to partake. Trains from
Bologna run frequently, and it’s an easy 30 minute trip.
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| Duomo |
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| Duomo altar gallery |
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| Piazza Grande |
Modena is small and easy to navigate, the
main sites can be seen in a couple hours.
Piazza Grande (the main square) is quite impressive, with the marble
Duomo constructed between 1099 and 1184.
The Romanesque interior is all brick, creating a somber atmosphere. Take special note of the gallery in front of
the altar with depictions of the Passion of Christ, and the tomb of San
Geminiano in the crypt. The attached
white marble Torre Ghirlandina is also impressive.
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| Mercato Storico Albinelli |
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| Mercato Storico Albinelli |
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| Salumeria Giusti |
Wandering through the winding streets past
shops and cafes leads to the Mercato Storico Albinelli, one of the most
interesting markets we’ve seen in Italy.
La Consorteria 1966 is a great place to shop for balsamic vinegar,
located on Piazza Mazzini. Salumeria Giusti is the oldest deli in Modena, originally opened in 1598! There is a 4-table Michelin start restaurant in the back. Lunch at
Restaurante da Denilo was very good, and we had our first taste of Trebbiano
white wine, which was quite good. We
wrapped up our stay with some of the best gelato at Gelateria Bloom on Via del
Taglio.
