Escape To Bologna

The lovely Italian city has three nicknames and Gillian Thornton finds it lives up to all of them...

- GILLIAN THORNTON

One nickname is enough for most, but the northern Italian city of Bologna is blessed with three of them. Not many of us would delight at being dubbed The Fat, but Bologna wears the badge of La Grassa with pride. Capital of the Emilia-Romagna province, the city is renowned for its gastronomy, food shops, and restaurants.

Red brick has been the go-to building material across the centuries, given the lack of stone on the surrounding Po plain, but if it's easy to see why the city is known as La Rossa (The Red) you need to look a bit deeper to discover why it has also been dubbed La Dotta, The Learned. The world's first university was founded here in 1088 and ten centuries later Bologna is still a buzzing student city. Don't miss a tour of the 16th century Archigennasio Library and Anatomical Theatre.

So where to begin? Start at Bologna Welcome, the visitor information centre on Piazza Maggiore. Then chill out at a café table overlooking the vast pedestrianised square while you plan your day and admire the magnificent civic buildings and monumental Neptune fountain.

A short walk away along Via Rizzoli are two of the city's many medieval towers, built as a statement of family power. Tallest of these is the Asinelli Tower. The view from the top is breath-taking, but so are the stairs, so opt for one of the city's newest attractions instead. It's a much easier climb up the Clock Tower of Palazzo d'Accursio on Piazza Maggiore, but the panoramic view includes those lofty twin towers.