Bologna was just given the honor of being named Italy’s most liveable city based on a survey by a business magazine in Italy. I spent four days in Bologna this past spring and truly enjoyed the city. It was a very young city largely in part due to the university there and the number of students.
In fact my accommodations there were in a dorm at a university in a very nice area of the city. I had made these advance preparations through MonasteryStays.com, a company that specializes in finding good clean inexpensive accommodations in monasteries and convents. When I arrived at my location I was surprised to find that it was actually on a floor of a dorm of San Tommaso University and there were students on the other floors. I thought it was cool and I immediately felt younger.
Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world and today it has over 100,000 students. The University of Bologna dates back to the year 1088 and is considered to be the oldest university in the western world. There are usually about 5000 international students here with another 2000 arriving each year on a rotating basis connected to exchange student programs.
Italy News – Another Earthquake Hits Northern Italy | margieinitaly
[…] north of Bologna and could be felt across all of northern Italy from coast to coast. I had visited Bologna last spring and it is a college town with many foreign students, a lot of them […]
Michelle
If I think on what city within Italy I’d like to live in one day, Bologna is always in the mix. I love a college town, that vibe you describe. Plus, trains seem to radiate out of this centrally-located city. What better base to explore all of Italy?? Plus, I love all the porticoes, perfect for a walker like me.
Bonnie D.
For people like me, who have spent their lives with their nose in a book, this sounds like a terrific place to overnight or overweek. The energy of a place is directly related to the age of the population. No doubt about it, our youthful companions energize us. Wisdom we get from the old ones but dancing and wine from the young! Carry on Margie, carry on!
Debra Kolkka
Bologna is one of my favourite cities in Italy. I go there often and love it more each time.