Scroll left
  • A panorama of the city from the Torre Asinelli, 498 steps above. width:800;;height:251
  • Bologna's Piazza Maggiore. Sadly, the frontage of the vast St Petronio cathedral never got finished! width:800;;height:238
  • Bologna has many kilometres of arcaded streets, covered by a UNESCO World Heritage designation. width:800;;height:600
  • Bologna after dark is a fascinating place. width:800;;height:362
  • Bologna's Palazzo Peopli houses a recently-made replica of "Gli Sposi", a beautiful pre-Christian Etruscan sarcophagus. width:800;;height:600
  • Etruscan vase, from around 200 BC. There is still so much to be discovered about this pre-Roman civilization. width:450;;height:600
  • Bologna lays a justifiable claim to be Italy's capital of food. Here are just a few sights of what is on offer! width:800;;height:600
  • The historic centre of Bologna still hosts many wonderful small shops. width:800;;height:600
  • As an art-lover I was quick to visit the excellent Pinacoteca Nazionale. width:800;;height:209
  • I am a fan of Italian art from the 12th to 16th Century. That we visited the Pinacoteca Nazionale just before Christmas shows in my selection of photos. width:800;;height:600
  • Several kilometres of arcaded walkways lead out of Bologna to the Santurio di San Luca, high above the city. width:800;;height:487
  • The Santuario di San Luca dominates the skyline south west of Bologna. width:800;;height:462
  • The Chiesa San Domenico in Bologna. width:450;;height:600
  • The Chiesa della Madonna del Colombano now houses a museum of keyboard instruments, and has retained its fantastic array of frescoes. width:800;;height:600
  • Recent excavation work below the Chiesa della Madonna del Colombano revealed this astonishingly bright fragment of 13th Century fresco, previously completely buried by centuries of rubble. width:450;;height:600
  • Oh, and we made a pilgrimage to Maranello to the Museo Ferrari. Within very easy reach of Bologna. Maserati, Ducati and Lamborghini are also all based close to Bologna. width:800;;height:600
  • The vast Cimiterio di Certosa, just west of Bologna, was one of the most spectacular places we visited. Begun in about 1800, it is one of the world's "Top 5" cemeteries for funerary art. width:800;;height:407
  • It is hard to believe that this spectacular 19th Century piece is made from marble. It's life-sized, too. width:450;;height:600
  • Another example of funerary art from the Cimiterio di Certosa, the grave of a young child. width:450;;height:600
  • Almost a thousand years of brickwork accumulated on a wall at the Chiesa di Santo Stefano. width:450;;height:600
  • This is a new sculpture by Bologna's Laura Zizzi, of the Angel Gabriel, part of the city's 2014 Nativity installation. width:450;;height:600
  • About an hour away from Bologna by train is Ravenna, famous for its Byzantine churches and their exquisite mosaics. width:515;;height:600
  • Ravenna's Basilica di San Vitale dates from about 550 AD width:450;;height:600
  • A multi-frame shot of the ceiling of Ravenna's Neonian Baptistery. width:757;;height:600
  • Ravenna's Oratorio Sant'Andrea has some quite wonderful 6th Century mosaics. width:488;;height:600
  • For such a large city, Bologna sits close to some very attractive countryside. width:800;;height:450
  • The line of the Roman Via Emiglia is still very clear in modern-day Bologna's street-plan. width:337;;height:600
  • Bologna's Neptune statue stands at the very centre of the city. width:800;;height:600
  • A late afternoon panoramic sweep across Bologna, looking west. width:800;;height:263
Scroll right