Bologna for Lunch

The heading is not about the world famous sausage or the sauce (bolognese), both of which derive their names from the Italian city of Bologna.

We had decided to go to Bologna for lunch, a journey which takes about an hour an a half on the train. A booking had been made at Da Cesari, and upon arrival, we were not disappointed. I started with a delicious pumpkin ravioli which was cooked in a burnt butter sauce - simply delicious, while Debbie had a small flan made from locally grown mushrooms. Main courses were sea bass for me and lasagne for Debbie, again both courses beautifully cooked and presented. There was of course the home-made bread and olive oil, and an excellent bottle of Pinot Grigio followed by Zuppa Inglese and Crema Caramel then coffee and tea served with a very generous complimentary plate of three home-made sweet bites: tiny melt-in-the-mouth meringues, coffee-crusted sultanas and slabs of pistacchio brittle. The wonderful food, the ambience created by the restaurant's decor, the subtle background music and the highly efficient staff all contributed to a really great experience and made the trip to Bologna well worth the journey.

Bologna is one of the larger cities in Italy with a total urban population in excess of one million people, and it is also home to the oldest university in the world which was founded in 1088. The city is known for its kilometres of portici, or covered terracotta arcades, numerous churches of all shapes and sizes, a score of palazzos, piazzas and all the high end shops you can think of.

The entry to the centre of the city is along Via Dell'Indipendenza which leads to the Piazza Maggiore where the Basilica Di S. Petronio stands at one end of the piazza (all covered in scaffolding and sailcloth and no photos allowed) whilst on either side there are the Palazzo Re Enzo and Palazzo D'Accursio. Along the way there is the impressive statue of Garabaldi sitting astride his horse in the Piazza VIII Agosto.

 

Piazza Maggiore (built in XIII century) as seen from the top of the scaffolding on the Basilica Di S. Petronio

The Cattedrale Di S. Pietro just prior to arriving in Piazza Maggiore was very impressive, albeit relatively new in Italian terms, dating from 1575 when the main chapel was built, and completed in 1605.

Another small church discovered along the way was Chiesa San Benedetto, which despite its beauty, doen't even rate a mention in the official guide book to Bologna,  such is the plentiful nature of churches and other places of worship.

Chiesa San Benedetto

The only disappointment on the day was that the famous Fontana Del Nettuno stood forlorn in the Piazza Maggiore as dry as a chip. This fountain is considered by some to be the second most significant fountain in all of Italy (after the Trevi Fountain in Rome) and to see poor old Neptune standing there with all his parts exposed and without the opportunity of a cleansing shower left a bit to be desired.

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