"Petrus ubique pater legum Bononia mater” (St Peter is everywhere the father of law, and Bologna is its mother) Having studied law, Bologna has a special meaning for me, not to mention the fact that I can visit some of the friends I studied with in Lyon and Tokyo. Indeed, it's a city I often visit to see three former classmates 🧡, and it's always a pleasure to come here. And it’s not (only) for its famous sauce -ragù (qui n’est pas la sauce à la bolognaise) : Bologna is another welcoming city full of charm. Bologna, “la Dotta”, founded in the 6th century BC by the Etruscans, is above all, known for having opened Europe's first university, in 1088, and that's no mean achievement!!! Btw, european students on the Erasmus programme, will be pleased to know that the Dutch monk Erasmus studied here. And these days, 100000 students, 25% of the city's total population, still feed their brains in the city. In any case, thanks to the Italians for coming up with the idea that allowed Latin culture to shine, at a time when elsewhere, it was fashionable to defecate in the street and tear each other apart in the next field (but let's be honest, that's still a bit the case in France). Bologna is also famous for its towers! Originally, there were around a hundred towers, and it was a bit like the Manhattan of the 11th century! They were used for a variety of purposes: to keep an eye on your neighbours if you had the tallest tower, as an observation post, a fortress, a prison... Nowadays, around twenty towers remain, including the two most famous: the 97m (321ft) high "Asignelli" Tower, built in 1119, and its twin, the 48m (157ft) high "Grisenda" Tower, mentioned by Dante himself... You can then climb the 500 steps of Asignelli and admire Bologna “la Rossa”, which owes its name to its red roof and Communist history. As a bonus, you'll burn off the calories accumulated in the city, also known as “la Grassa”... It's easy to guess where the nickname comes from 🍝