qui per un breve periodo

Last weekend my survey class field trip consisted of a day trip to the city of Bologna, just one hour north of Florence. One hour and one mountain range, that is. Our bus ride took us up and around and through the mountains- with fantastic views on every side. I wish that the pictures I took from the bus could even come close to capturing their beauty.

Bologna is called the Red City for two reasons: one is that red brick is the dominant building material; the other is that the city is a stronghold for socialism in Italy. It is a striking contrast to and welcome relief from the tan-yellow stucco of Florence. Bologna is also a larger city, and sustains itself on other endeavors than tourism. It is metropolitan, exciting, busy, and beautiful.

One of the most striking things about Bologna is the loggias. A loggia is an arched, covered walkway, or portico, on the ground floor, usually with housing directly above. In Bologna’s case, the loggia is an integral part of the urban fabric. Somewhere around the 1300s, the city declared that all owners of property on “wide” streets had to build loggias onto the fronts of their buildings to create temporary housing for students (Bologna is the home of Europe’s first university, and at this time there was a severe shortage of student housing). The result is that, today, there are over 36 km of loggias in Bologna, and the spaces under the loggias are fantastic pedestrian zones, separated from vehicle and moped traffic (something that is a huge problem in Florence).

One day in Bologna was perfect- enough time to develop a basic understanding of the city and how it differs from Florence, as well as enough time to take in the major historical sites and buildings. Here are just a few snapshots:


le due torri (the two towers)- yes, one is leaning and the other is extremely tall


Basilica San Stefano


Basilica San Petronio

The day after Bologna was sunny and warm, so Katherine and I decided to rent mountain bikes and trek 8 km uphill to the small town of Fiesole. Fiesole sits above Florence on the side of a mountain, offering spectacular views of the city and the entire Arno River valley.

The ride up was so hard- all uphill with hardly any resting areas! My legs felt like jell-o once we finally reached the top, but it was worth it. After some exploration of Fiesole (mainly an archeological site of Roman ruins and a beautiful convent) we took the long route back to Florence, heading down the backside of the mountain. We raced down the steepest and narrowest streets I have ever seen, passing by olive groves and lemon tree orchards and vineyards and majestic private villas and tiny farmhouses and churches. It was by far the most challenging, rewarding, and scenic bike ride I have yet to experience.

The rest of this week consisted of wrapping up a studio project on accessibility and topography within the city. We had a review today and start a new project Monday, after a well-deserved free weekend! Sunday most of our group is going to the soccer match between Florence (Fiorentina) and Livorno. It will be my first professional soccer match, and supposedly Italian soccer fans are the wildest bunch in Europe… should be crazy, I can’t wait!