Off the Beaten Path

Il che è il popolo - Its all about the people
Bologna, often overlooked by travelers, has one of the best preserved historic centers in Italy, famous for it's arcaded streets. Bologna is a university town with a reputation as Italy's culinary center. Bologna is a town of 400,000 people in the Po river valley in Emilia -Romagna. Known for its cuisine, its porticoed streets, and for hosting one of the oldest Universities in Europe, Bologna is a great tourist destination--especially if you like people and food.
In Bologna, everything starts in the central Piazza Maggiore. Here you'll find the 13th century Palazzo del Podesta (inside is tourist info), the Church of San Petronio, and Neptunes Fountain (Fontana di Nettuno), designed by Tommaso Laureti in 1566 with some pretty erotic bronze figures by Giambologna gushing water for the masses
Basilica di San Domenico
San Domenico is a church NOT to be missed while in Bologna. It's majestic, peaceful, moving and breathtaking. The artistry is unparalleled anywhere. You must see this church.