Curious Llama in Italy Part Four: Bologna

After Bennabio, we went to Bolonga. Above, you can see a photo of Bologna's two towers. These also lean. I took this photo off the web. It also gives you a nice overview of the old part of Bologna.

This also gives you an idea. This is just around the corner from Betsy and Riccardo's flat (the two people who came out to stay with us in Bennabio). If you look at the building on the left hand side of this photo, you can see that the sidewalk is covered by a series of arches. These are called porticos.

Here is another example of porticos. Bologna is full of porticos. Apparently, they were something that were started in the 1500s or so. Even though Bologna is well inland, it is on a navigable river and so was a booming place for trade. With increased trade came increased population. In order to accomodate more people within the city walls, building owners extended their square footage by building over the sidewalks. The earliest porticos were wooden. Bologna was essentially a city run by merchants. The merchants realised that these porticos were a good thing as you could set up trading stalls beneath them and buyers could be sheltered from rain or sun. It was made a legal requirement to have a portico. If you didn't have a portico, you would be fined. For some of the wealthier families it became a status symbol to not have a portico (because it implied that you could afford the fine). Today, porticos and the sidewalk below are considered part of the fabric of the building and owners are required to keep them up as a public space.

We were in Bologna for a cycle event called the Dieci Colli. This means 10 cols (a col being a mountain pass). There are two courses. The full 10 col version covers 168km and has a total elevation gain of 2500m. The sort course goes over 5 cols, covers 98km and has a total elevation gain of 1400m. Robert, Riccardo and Betsy were all doing the 5 col version. The 10 col version is for the hardcore cyclist. They all did this last year to. The race is on May 1, which is a public holiday in Italy (and also associated with Socialism/Communism). You will see more about this later.

This year, as last year, we stayed in Riccardo and Betsy's flat in the centre of the old part of Bologna. I LOVE this flat. It is huge. Below is the entrance hallway (not very well lit in this photo). In any case, it gives you an idea of the size. You could drive a car down this entrance hall.

In case you are wondering, Riccardo works as a Economist at the University of Bologna. His father was a doctor. Betsy is a biochemist and has her own consultancy company. They have two teenage children (who have no interest in cycling).

They also share the space with Roland the cat. Roland has no interest in dogs (as we saw when the teenage son brought his girlfriend's dog to the flat).

What also makes this flat so amazing is the huge terrace they have. Now, you have to remember that this is a flat. It is about three stories up. They also have a BBQ up there and a separate sink area (the doorway on the right hand side). Robert is fine tuning his bike. That night, we have a lovely meal (pasta of course) and then head off to the race the next morning. Here is Robert below. As you can see, all the cyclists in Italy wear lycra (whether or not it suits them). Robert is in his University of Bologna cycle team outfit. Apparently, you can only join this as part of a cycle team, so the other colours all indicate different teams. Some are local like the University one, some are quite major, like Liquigas who use this as a training event for more major events like the Tour de France or the Giro de Italia.

I left Robert in the back and moved up to the front to watch the start of the women's race. People are allocated a starting place based on their expected finishing time. These are the elite women.
Yes. They really are women. Very scary women.

So, after the start, I wasn't going to see the cyclists for another 4-5 hours. As with last year, I explored the delights of Bologna. As with last year, Betsy, who felt sorry that I was 'left out' of the main event, suggested things for me to see. This time is was the porticos on the way to the Oratory of San Lucca. This is on a hill at the edge of town. The Oratory has a miraculous picture of the Virgin Mary. Every year, on August 30, the Virgin is taken from the Oratory and brought to the Cathedral in the centre. This has happened for centuries. Apparently, the bishop was tired of being rained on during this procession and suggested quite a Bolongese solution: build a portico all the way out there. So, the portico that leads to the Oratory starts at a square at the edge of the city centre. It goes on for 4km (yes 4km). It is flat at first and the porticos are actually part of buildings as you see in the rest of Bologna. Then it just becomes a covered series of arches. One side is bricked in, the other side looks out over the countryside.
This is just a small section of it.

As it goes up, it twists and turns. The porticos are quite a popular place for people to go for a stoll.
Here is a photo I pulled off the web showing the last bit of the portico as it leads to the Oratory. It took 10 years to build it. It has 666 arches. How do I know? They are numbered!
This is archway 335. May of the archways have been restored and memorial plaques have been put us. Archway 335 is sponsored by a builders college (I think).

This is quite an old one near the very top. In case you haven't figured it out, it is for an Italian missionary who worked in China.

Once at the top in the Oratory, I didn't get to see the famous Virgin (because, of course, she was in the Cathedral). I did see this rather interesting painting. There was no real info about what is is about. Maybe Dad can meditate on this one. It might be a painting about the miraculous painting.

I managed to get up and down and still had time to go to the main square to check out the May day proceedings.

Of course, the Communists had their stall out. Last year they were selling T-shirts. It is good to see that the Communists have learned a bit from the Capitalists. This year they were only handing out leaflets. Someone must have pointed out the irony to them.

One of the more bizarre features of the central square is this fountain. Yes, water is squirting out of the nipples. There are four of these figures around the central fountain. Better yet, according to Betsy, this was commissioned by a Pope. After nearly 4 hours of touring around, I returned to the race. Riccardo was already there when I arrived. It took him 3 hours 40 minutes. Robert finished last year in about 4 hours and Betsy in 4 hours and 30 minutes. So I wandered around and checked out the other cyclists and what they were wearing.

Yes! Even McDonalds has a cycle team and they wear lycra!

Above is Riccardo, looking fresh as a daisy. Next to him is Betsy. Just next to Betsy you can see Mauro and in the foreground you can see Robert. Betsy made her expected time. Robert came in after Betsy. He was unlucky enough to get caught in a rain spurt (which Betsy managed to just miss). So, this slowed him down (or so the story goes). Next year, he says that he will train more.

Part of Robert's entry fee were tickets for the post-race pasta party. So, this is what you get after an Italian cycle race: penne past in a tomato and meat sauce; a plate with cubes of Parmesane cheese, cubes of mortadella and foccacia; a bottle of water and a glass of wine. Mortadella is was became transformed into bolony in North America. As you can guess from the name, it originated in Bolongna.

Here is a wider view of the pasta party tent. Note, the food is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggio region. Bologna is part of this. As is Parma (home of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese) and Modena (home of basalmic vinegar). If you look under the 'g' in Parmigiano you will see one of the vats of wine. Again, one of these moments when you wonder why you live in the UK.

We went out for a lovely meal that night with Betsy, Riccardo, Mauro and Mauro's wife (who rides horses, not bikes). The next day, Robert and I headed off to Trieste.