Bologna

Bologna is a north central Italian city with human habitation dating to at least the 3rd millennium BCE, although as a city, it is essentially Etruscan in origin. World war 2 saw extensive damage to the city, including the historical center. The Roman road the Via Emilia passes through Bologna and was a significant factor in it's early development.
After world war 2 a significant effort was made to restore the historic buildings that had been damaged, and a careful restoration and conservation protocol is in place to help preserve it.
Bologna is a city of loggia, arched and covered sidewalks like in the 1st picture. These are throughout the historic city center. The 2nd picture is the Piazza Maggiore or large plaza that is the center of town. The church to the right is the Basilica of San Petrino. The 3rd picture is in the nave of San Petrino.
The 4th picture looks at an older version of the loggia. These are old houses where the 1st story extends over the street.
The 5th picture are the iconic 2 towers that are located where the ancient Via Emilia entered the old city. The towers date to the early 12 the century. Yes, one is leaning badly, so much so that Dante made it famous in the Inferno.
The 6th picture is the Archiginnasio of Bologna that dates to the 16th century as a building where all the medieval disciplines could be studied under one roof instead of separate buildings.Read more