Ho fatto una passegiata

That means I took a walk. Which is kind of an understatement.

It's Sunday, and there wasn't much going on so I decided to go to the city center and just tool around for a while. The bus system in the city is pretty darn convenient, but I ended up walking to the city center anyway (it's about 78*F in Bologna... sorry Phoenicians). I took the opportunity to see a lot of the touristy type stuff, which you will see here.


This is La Chiesa del Sacro Cuore (Church of the Sacred Heart). It's outside the city center but I pass it on the way to school. To me it doesn't seem like a very old church, maybe built in the 1800s, but I can't seem to find any information about it on the web. Guess I'll have to pay it a visit!



Likewise, I couldn't find any information online about whatever this is. My guess is some ruins from the ancient city wall, but it could be anything.


This is the north entrance to a huge park, il Parco della Montagnola. The whole park is above ground level. I haven't explored anything up top yet but I walk past it on the way to school, so I'm sure I'll make it up there one of these days.


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Guess what! I couldn't find out any information on what this is either, but it sure looks cool.


This was just a backalley I came across which I thought was kinda neat


Same idea here: just a scenic street I came across


This is the back end of the Palazzo Comunale, more or less the equivalent of City Hall.


There are few aesthetics that giant steel spikes cannot improve


Another back alley view that I found rather striking. You can see one of the towers from the Palazzo in the background.


A view of Piazza Maggiore (great square) and the Palazzo di Re Enzo, which is now another civic building and houses the tourist office and some museums.


A faraway shot of the Fontana del Nettuno (fountain of Neptune) and another view of the Palazzo di Re Enzo.




So how's this for City Hall? These shots are all from the interior courtyard of the Palazzo Comunale.


Another Evergreen grad? Hehe. I was a little worried because I hadn't found any obvious tourist traps yet. Thank God this guy showed up.


The big clocktower on the Palazzo Comunale


One last view of the Palazzo Comunale


The unfinished facade of Basilica di San Petronio, patron saint of Bologna. The basilica is the 5th largest church in the world. During it's several-hundred year construction period, new plans were proposed to enlarge the Basilica to a size greater than that of St Peter's in the Vatican. The Pope was not going to have THAT, so the church actually paid to have other buildings constructed on the sides of the Basilica so that it could not be enlarged.


These grandiose windows line the entire side walls of the Basilica


A detail of the reliefs on the windows


An interesting angle I found at the back of the church.


Detail of the main archway into the Basilica


This shot of the Basilica came out rather majestically, I should say


The Fontana del Nettuno, or Fountain of Neptune, a 16th Century work in the main square


Was this as funny in the 1500s as it is today? I'd like to think so.


Another view of the Palazzo di Re Enzo


A view down one of the side streets shooting off of the Piazza Maggiore


The Due Torri, or Two Towers (Tolkien anyone?) are a major landmark in the University quarter. In medieval times, the richest families in the city built towers to show their wealth. Many were constructed but only a handful remain, with these two being the most famous examples. Apparently one of the student traditions forbids anyone from climbing to the top until they've graduated.


Not sure what this is, but it looks cool.



Some views of a nice, quiet little park off the beaten path where I stopped and had some gelato. And yes, the gelato was EXCELLENT.


I don't know who Ulisse Aldrovandi was, but apparently he was born in this house in 1522. At least he did not live long enough to see the Sun Devils lose in Athens by a field goal in the last 2 seconds of the game.



Bologna boasts the most porticoes of any city in the world, with over 20 miles of porticoed walkways sheltering people from the sun and rain. Legend has it that the porticoed walkways were constructed to allow for extra rooms on top to be built which could then be let out to students.


A view of Piazza Santo Stefano, with Le Sette Chiese (the seven churches) in the background. Yes, at one time there were seven churches in this complex; however only four now remain. This is the same Piazza in which we had some beers the other night. It's a favorite of the locals because it is a little off the beaten path and much quieter than the other piazzas in the University district.


An unusual feature of this piazza: the cobblestones are spaced far enough that some grass grows between them. It's not much but it gives a very distinct character and feeling to the piazza; you almost feel like you're in a park instead of the city center. It's surprisingly tranquil.


Another view of Piazza Santo Stefano; you can see the Asinelli tower (one of the two) in the background.