We like Bologna. Aside from being the town of Daniela and
Fabrizio, it is a very interesting town to visit.
Located in the north of Italy, Bologna has been around for
many, many years. A one-time walled city, it is the home of the
oldest university in Europe and is now an industrial capital.
Several popes have called Bologna home. This long history has
resulted in a city that is an dynamic mixture of the old and the
new.
As the picture to the left shows, Bologna is an dense, older
center surrounded by a modern suburban "sprawl" like
many cities in the US. Unlike many US cities, however, the center
is vibrant and alive. This is one of the areas we particularly
like to visit.
In the past, one of the ways of showing your power, strength,
and wealth was to build a tower. Bologna has had several wealthy
families over the years. At one point, two of these families were
in an intense competition for power within the town. They both
decided to build towers, one right next to the other. One family,
however, used a strong foundation and has left a tower of great
height. The other family had to stop building when the tower began
to lean and further construction would have risked complete collapse.
We climbed the stairway up the center of the taller tower
to get a view of the town.
The stairway was of wood construction and ran along the inner
walls of the tower. The stairs had clearly been around for a while
as they were well worn in the center and the hand rail was well
polished through use. In fact, there were areas where it was easier
to slide backwards off the step than it was to step upwards.
When we arrived at the top, the first thing we noticed was
the wind. The geometry of the walkway and the wind created swirling
pockets that would lift any jacket or dress. The children loved
this effect!
The next thing we noticed was the incredible view of the city.
As Lori remarked, the streets through the center looked like rivers
carved in stone. We later learned that each of the large "rivers"
extends from the center of town to one of the gates of now largely
dismantled walls. We could also see San Luca, the church on the
hill and the covered walkway that extends from the church down
to town. This stairway was originally built for pilgrims who would
walk up from town. It is now maintained by various groups, organizations,
and sponsors.
The main square of town is located between a church and the
building that used to be a papal residence. In fact, a statue
of one pope still looks out from this building. We enjoy visiting
this square. The children love to chase the pigeons. And it's
not just American children. Juli made immediate friends with an
Italian girl about here age, Julia, who also shared in the pleasure
of a good pigeon chase. Brian likes the fountain and it's descriptive
use of water.
But no visit to Italy would be complete without the
greatest of all Italian specialities, ice cream (or gelato as
it is known locally)
