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Bologna lies
at the southermost end of the Padana Plain.
It is an important industrial, agricultural
and trade center and a key road and rail intersection.
Bologna is a beautiful city, rich in history
and culture.
For instance, its university is the oldest
in the western world.
But the past here mingles with the present,
thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of its
people.
It is lovely to stroll
under the porticoes that wind for about
40 km around the city center!
In the norther part of the city there is
a new international exhibition center planned
by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.
Bologna was an Etruscan
town originally called Felsina. In 189 BC
it became a Roman colony with the name of
Bononia and started to grow in importance
until it became an imperial town.
It was damaged by fire under Claudius, then
rebuilt and enlarged under Nero, with the
addition of some new public buildings. After
a period of decadence it acquired new glory
under bishop Petronio, who then became patron
saint of the city.
From the 11th century Bologna experienced
heavy economic and urban growth. It was
part of the Lega Lombarda under Federico
Barbarossa.
It is believed the university was built
here in 1088, the first in Europe.
Dante Alighieri, Petrarca and Boccaccio
all were students here.
In the 13th century Bologna was at its height
thanks to its academic prestige. Later it
was ruled by the Viscontis and the Bentivoglios.
From 1506 till the end of the 18th century
it was under papal rule. Between the 16th
and 18th century Bologna acquired its present
appearance.
During the Napoleonic
period the city became the capital of the
Repubblica Cispadana and flourished in the
cultural, political and economic fields.
For the next 45 years, while papal power was
being restored, it played a leading role in
the Risorgimento, the Italian movement for
independence and unification. Finally, in
1859 the city voted to be annexed to Piedmont
and be part of united Italy
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