When you think of Italy, famous cities like Rome, Venice and Florence definitely come to mind and while these are home to wonderful landmarks they are also places for mass tourism but if you want to escape the crowds and discover a part of Italy that isn’t often talked about come and visit Bologna an underrated city - from a foreign tourist perspective - that will help you get a sense of what the country and culture is truly about. It may not be a top tourist venue but it is a living breathing Italian experience, which can be hard to find in more popular destinations. It is very easy to reach Bologna, located halfway between Venice and Florence it is a major transport hub for rail travel throughout the country and it has got an international airport. Piazza Maggiore, Bologna historical centre since Roman time. The square is surrounded by important monuments such as the Neptune fountain, the Basilica of San Petronio, the old town halls, the Palazzo dei Banchi and the Sala Borsa.

The Fountain of Neptune is a monumental civic fountain located in the eponymous square, Piazza del Nettuno. The fountain is a model example of Mannerist taste of the Italian courtly elite in the mid-sixteenth century.The trident of the Neptune's statue was used by Maserati brothers as emblem for their first car and it is still today the logo of the Maserati car company.

Via Rizzoli together with via Ugo Bassi follow the route of the main Roman axis of the city and the Roman Via Emilia built in the 2nd century B.C. From via Rizzoli you can see the two medieval leaning towers, symbol of the city, and via Indipendenza, one of the shopping areas of the city

The huge basilica is famous for some famous events: it was in this church that Charles V became the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by a pope in 1530 and a section of the Council of Trent, the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation, took place. The church hosts also a marking in the form of a meridian line inlaid in the paving of the left aisle in 1655. It is the longest covered sundial in the world. ATT. a dress code is required in this church

Bologna is one of those iconic cities that has a proud and amazing food culture and, not without reason, it is known locally as ‘La Grassa’ (the fat one). The Quadrilatero or ancient Bologna food market is a very colourful area of very narrow streets with packed vendors and old food stalls that are typical of how they were during the medieval time frame, selling right into the narrow passageways.

The purpose of this building was that to give a unit seat to the university teaching until then dispersed in various seats. The rich decorations of the Archiginnasio constitute the biggest existing heraldic wall complex. ON REQUEST: you can also visit the old anatomy theatre. Entrance fee € 3,00/each to be paid directly by you on tour date

Piazza Santo Stefano also known as Piazza delle Sette Chiese (Seven churches square) is a pedestrian square near the beginning of via Santo Stefano, both of which are named after the church complex of Santo Stefano which is located on the piazza. It is often used for cultural events, flea-markets and concerts, it has porticos along both long sides

The basilica of Santo Stefano is a complex of religious edifices locally known as Seven Churches and Holy Jerusalem. The complex includes the Church of Saint Stephen (8th century), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (5th century) rebuilt on a Roman temple, the Church of the Saints Vitale and Agricola (5th century, rebuilt first in the 12th century), the Courtyard of Pilate and the Church of the Trinity or of the Martyrium (13th century). At the moment the complex is closed on Mondays

The complex owned by the Isolani counts, between Strada Maggiore and Piazza Santo Stefano, is crossed by a gallery linking the two places. On the side of Strada Maggiore the entrance aspect of the gallery is that of a medieval house, with many Romanesque-Gothic elements. On the opposite side, that is on Piazza Santo Stefano, there is instead the vision of a senatorial palace of Renaissance style. The realization was carried out for the family of Cypriot origin, that's why of the surname Isolani, which has become one of the most important in the city. One of the most evocative Bolognese arcades is undoubtedly that of Casa Isolani which is located at Strada Maggiore. His sight is dizzying, for the height of the oak beams that, with their 9 meters, support the third floor of the one that was born in the Middle Ages as a civil dwelling. Built in the middle of the 13rd century, it remains the house with the highest wooden portico in the city.

The Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda), both of them leaning, are the symbol of Bologna and the most prominent of the Towers of Bologna. They are located at the intersection of the roads that lead to five gates of the old ring wall. Their names derive from the families who built them between 1109 and 1119