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Tourist Guide - Bologna: topical tours
 ECCLESIASTICAL HERITAGE
For centuries, Bologna was an important Papal city, second only to Rome. It is only natural, therefore, that it should host a large number of important religious buildings. Indeed, almost every church in the city is characterized by the high quality of artwork it contains. Bologna churches lend themselves well to a variety of themed itineraries. Inside-out Itinerary: a guided tour that concentrates on a single building, examining in depth its history, artwork and architectural features. Theme Itinerary: if the group has a special interest in a particular architectural style (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, etc.) it is possible to visit 3 churches that present significant yet different aspects of the selected genre.
SECRET CHAPELS ITINERARY
Most of these artistic gems are privately owned and closed to the public, requiring permission to visit. It is well worth the trouble; however, when the fabulous treasures these oratories contain are revealed.
 NOBLE HOMES: POMP & GOSSIP
Bologna boasts a large number of sumptuous palaces where one can still breathe the aristocratic air of time gone by. It is possible to concentrate on one or more of the palaces located in the city centre and discover, together with the actual owners, the secrets of the noble families whose historic deeds and misdeeds took place in these very houses: love crimes, spectacular robberies, political intrigue and religious miracles. Almost all the noble palaces are today private residences; therefore, permission to visit is required as is a timely reservation.
 COUNTRY HOMES: BOLOGNA'S BEST BEAT THE HEAT
Bologna's patrician families owned luxury country homes, surrounded by impressive parks full of winding paths and secret hiding-places. Some of the villas boast beautiful botanical gardens, with fountains and water games that are impressive even today for their superior technology and "special effects".
BLACK BOLOGNA
Complex stories of bloody murders and unfound assassins, incredible accounts of skilful robberies, reports of trials and summary executions for the practice of magic and witchcraft.
 YE OLDE SHOPPE - Bologna style: T he practical side of Art
Bologna has a strong artisan tradition and its workshops are bursting with history, anecdotes and legends; many have even retained their original furnishings and decorations. To enter one of these stores is to find passage to a world gone by; yet the shops still manage to propose quality and innovative products in harmony with centuries-old tradition. It is possible to visit only one kind of shop, such as pharmacies, goldsmiths, or lute makers, or to choose the most representative of each genre for a "greatest hits" tour.
 BOLOGNA BY BIKE
An excellent way to explore Bologna is by bicycle. For the more sports-oriented tourist, it is possible to visit many secret and suggestive corners of the city on two wheels. You can pedal the length of the ancient canal system (you'll be surprised at just how much water runs through Bologna!), visit churches and palaces, or taverns and shops. Your legs are the limit for this tour! It is possible to choose between traditional or electric bikes.
BOLOGNA IN LOVE
Stirring medieval love stories - young maidens and noble youths divided by warring families, or the more recent experiences of famous poets such as Foscolo, Leopardi, Shelley and Goethe, all of whom found passionate love here in Bologna.
SEX IN THE CITY
Bolognese women are famous for their beauty and so it would be a shame to leave the city without visiting the neighbourhoods that for centuries have been home to the bordellos and their lusty "madams". An entertaining tour, but not perhaps for the prudish!
COLOR, MATERIAL, CAPITALS, & DOORKNOCKERS
Triumphs of colour that change as the hours go by, Bologna's temples glitter with gypsum, the mineral that gave Bologna its nickname of the "Silver City" in Roman times. This tour is all about functional sculpture, from decorated capitals, carved into fantastic, surreal shapes to ordinary doorknockers in wrought iron that have been transformed into veritable works of art.
HIDDEN SHRINES
Sacred images of disarming beauty can often be discovered under dark porticoes, or tucked away in narrow corners of medieval alleys, or even on the walls of ordinary houses. These artworks may be "minor", but they are nonetheless meaningful, expressing as they do a popular devotion belonging to the centuries gone by.
 PORTICOES
From 1200 to 1900, all the styles and decorations of Bologna's signature architectural feature, from Romanesque to Liberty. A unique cityscape, Bologna's porticoes offer 40 kilometres of covered walkways to discover and enjoy.
 TOWERS
2, 100, 200 towers. Bologna was once a "stone forest", a suggestive city full of medieval skyscrapers that offered protection to its inhabitants and facilitated the observation of the surrounding hills and plains. For those strong in leg and heart, it is possible to climb some of the more significant surviving towers to study their interior and to analyze Bologna's cityscape from an unrivalled position.
 BOLOGNA LIBERTY
From 1800 to 1900, the city exploded in a triumph of flower garlands and fanciful "grotesques" made of wrought and cast iron, in no way inferior to those produced at the Universal Exposition at the beginning of the century.
JEWS AND JUDAISM IN BOLOGNA
Bolognese Jews and Gentiles have a long history of reciprocal respect. An itinerary of great historical and religious interest, the tour includes visits to the Jewish Museum, the Ghetto and the Synagogue.
 SECRET GARDENS
one of Bologna's most beautiful secrets is best appreciated from the sky. A bird's-eye view reveals a myriad of splendid, age-old gardens, green islands in a sea of red roofs. This Nature-lovers tour explores these gardens, which often contain rare plants and trees as well as providing refuge for the many species of birds passing through the city.
CRÈCHES
Wax, wood, terracotta, and painted; old and new; aristocratic and common. An interesting overview of this centuries-old tradition and its most beautiful artistic expressions.
 CERTOSA AND CERTOSINO
The monumental Bologna Charterhouse is not just a place of timeless suggestion and historical interest; it is also the source of a delicious dessert, the "Certosino", which dates back to the 16th century. Visit includes free tasting.
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