Bologna Information Page
[click here to view a larger map]An ancient Iberian-Ligurian settlement, in the 6th century B.C. it became an
Etruscan town, with the name of Felsina. In 189 B.C. the Romans re-baptised it
Bonomia. In the Middle Ages it followed the fortunes of the Ravenna military and,
after various dominations, it became a free Comune around the year 1000.
At
the end of the 11th century the celebrated University was founded. This soon
attracted students from all over Europe. Bologna and Paris can in fact call
themselves the cultural capitals of Medieval Europe. "The Studio" (as the
university seat was called), by imperial privilege, constituted in the 12th century
almost a town unto itself, with autonomous rights and independent magistrates.
The complex of 10 000 students was divided in two principal associations: the
university of the "citra-montani," or Italians, and that of the "oltra-montani"
(over the mountains, or foreigners). An idea of the importance of the Unversity
of Bologna can be given by the fact that this was where the re-birth of Roman
law was proclaimed.
By Car: Thanks to its central position, Bologna can be reached by major highways that connect it to all of Italy, from north to south, from east to west, and with all the countries bordering Italy. From the north, the main highways are the A1, "Highway of the Sun," which connects Bologna to Milan and Florence, and, after meeting up with the A22, with Austria and Germany, and the A13, coming from Trieste, Udine, Venice, Padua and Ferrara. From the south, one takes the A1 from Rome, while from the east the A14 connects Bologna to Ancona and Bari.
By Plane: The international airport "Guglielmo Marconi" guarantees rapid connections for passengers and merchandise with main Italian cities and with large European centers, some of which have connections with intercontinental flights. Many charters with weekly frequency regularly connect Bologna with other cities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The airlines that serve Bologna regularly are: Air France, Air Littoral, Airone, Albania Airlines, Alitalia, Australian Airlines, British Airways, Crossair-Swissair, Lufthansa, Meridiana, Sabena, SAS and Tap-Air Portugal.
By Train: Bologna is the most important railway nexus in Italy. Given its privileged position, it benefits from constant modernizations. With the creation of the high-speed train and improvements to the Intercity and Eurostar lines, daily connections are available not only to the rest of Italy but also to major cities throughout Europe.
By Car:
The historic center of Bologna (area of limited traffic) is closed to private
traffic from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. everyday, holidays included, but garages
and hotels located within the Pedestrian Zone will provide clients with a pass
so that they can circulate and park. However, there are many parking spaces
located near public transportation facilities, among which we can cite that of
the Fiera Michelino (with 3650 parking spaces), Parco Nord-Dozza (with 800
parking spaces) and Piazza Costituzione (with 1000 parking spaces).