Bologna - give it another chance?

On my Bologna food tour, we went to Cremeria Santo Stefano for gelato. It was good. I went back 2 more times during my 3 days there. I also brought some nice chocolate bars back from Majani.

Laura, that’s a solid recommendation! Thanks!

We went to the same place for gelato!! Excellent.

I thought the seven churches (Sette Chiese) or the Santo Stefano complex was interesting. It is seven churches built at different times that have been molded together into one structure. It is near the gelato place so you could stop in on your way. I just looked it up and seems like closed on Monday, just so you don't go in vain.

Do I love Bologna? Maybe not loooooooooove, but I have spent 3 weeks total there and I enjoy quite a few things that are IN Bologna. Not sure why I hold it against Bologna (and Milan) that the parts I am interested in are on "islands" with not-interesting-stuff in between that you have to walk or bus through. I do not hold this against Rome or Padua or Torino! I do love the porticoes and the medieval sections of town. I like your idea of a 2nd chance for Bologna.

Churches for art:

Basilica di San Domenico (closed 12:30-3:30) tomb by Nicolo Pisano & others

Basilico do San Petronio (closed 1:30–-3pm) Last Judgement frescoes (that chapel costs extra!)

Santa Maria della Vita --- see Niccolo del'Arca's Lamentation in the sanctuary & maybe go upstairs to Oratory of Santa Maria della Vita for Transit of the Virgin by Alfonso Lombardi.

Basilica di Santo Stefano (it's several churches)

San Giacomo Maggiore church + Oratorio di Santa Cecilia next door (closed 1pm-2pm)

Also:

Museo Civico Medievale (Tues-Fri 10-3pm, Sat Sun 10am-6:30pm) ---- full of first-rate interesting things including carved ivory

Pinacoteca Nazionale (closed Mon.) (good fresco cycle that shows the under-drawings)

Museo Civico Archeologico (Etruscan, Egyptian, etc.)(closed Monday)

Weekends & holidays the two main streets (Indipendenza + Rizzoli /Bassi) become completely pedestrian --- it is surprisingly fun to be a part of this crowd

Plasces to eat

Broccaindosso (we ate there for the 3rd time on our latest trip)

Osteria La Traviata

Trattoria Nonna Gigia

Lunch at Mercato di Mezzo

Big thumbs up for Santo Stefano, you would love it, Jean. It’s 7 churches in one because of the span of the centuries and you can walk through them all with really good signage as you go. Lovely piazza with a great little restaurant as well. I had lovely pasta with lemon and prosciutto there.
I’m camping at the moment and far away from my journal but I’ll see if I can figure out the name of the resto via google map.

I've never been to Bologna so I'm of no help lol but I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after this second-chance go at it! I also just wanted to share, as someone who's had a lot of grief in my own life, that I really love how you continue to share stories about your husband here with us. I would've loved to hear him tell that story! :)

Nearby Ravenna is Great.

Jean, I hope you follow-up with a report about Bologna. I'm starting to put together next year's trip plan and have Bologna on my list. No tour but want to visit places I haven't been. Following this thread for ideas.
Thanks in advance,
Kathy

EDIT:Love the idea of Asti Palio. Trying to figure out how it will work into the itinerary without backtracking and long train rides.

Osteria Agricola e Vitale. Very tasty.

For gelato Cremeria Santo Stefano is always one of the bets. Try even "Galliera 49". In Modena Bloom is one of the best in Italy.
Why not a gelato master class at Carpigiani instead of the usual pasta?
A sign with a parrot: could be the sign of the old Al Pappagallo restaurant? Was in Torre Alberici, just at the beginning of via Santo Stefano.
Since you don't like crypts, why don't you visit the clock tower of the Palazzo d'Accursio? Or the museum of the University "Palazzo Poggi".

Consulting my gelato journal (yes I keep one!), I see that I enjoyed gelato at La Sorbetteria Castiglione -- I had the "Dolce di Emma" flavor (ricotta, honey, and caramelized fig) combined with dark and delicious cioccolato fondente. https://www.lasorbetteria.it

I enjoyed the Museo della Storia di Bologna -- when I visited in 2022 they had a virtual-reality exhibit of medieval Bologna with its 200 towers, but there's no mention of it now on their website so was probably just temporary.

If you want a fun souvenir or gift, head over to Sfoglia Rina, beloved for their tortellini https://www.sfogliarina.it/en/ -- at their takeaway counter they sold delightful made-in-Bologna key rings each with a yellow leather tortellino. A bit pricey but oh so cute!

Enjoy Bologna

My one and only trip to Bologna was in 2015 - a day trip from Florence. As we were walking back to the train station, a mime tried to steal my husband's hat. A few minutes later, I noticed a woman trying to pick his pocket. She only gave up after I swatted her wrist with a rolled-up brochure. We decided to have a drink at the bar in the hotel across from the train station - the bar was for hotel guests only.

But on the other hand, we had an absolutely fantastic pizza that I still think about, and we got to see Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Looking forward to your trip report.

Our favorite thing in Bologna was the Santuario that you walk up to through a path of porticos. https://www.santuariodisanluca.it/

It’s quite a workout with terrific views. You can take a bus back down avoiding a roundtrip.

I think we lazy ones took the bus up and walked down!

LOL I am loving Accidental Southerner's gelato journal (!) and Estimated Prophet's trio of memories of Bologna (laughing emojis)

ETA: AND Janet's reply to Laurel. This is just a great thread, all around. Well done

Churches (unique art and design)
- Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita
- Basilica di Santo Stefano

Restaurants
- Sofoglia Rina
- Ristorante Diana
- Osteria Al 15

Gelaterias
Cremeria Cavour

Ricky, you found the sign with the parrot for me! Grazie mille!

Thank you, everyone, for all of these great recommendations! I appreciate your quick & helpful responses & glad the ideas can help others, too. : )

Sites that may be of interest but often overlooked:
Basilica di Santo Domenica has early work by Michelangelo.
The Pinocoteca Nazionale (National Gallery of Bologna) was a highlight for me. Having just been to Padua, I was excited that they have a Giotto triptych as well as works by Raphael, Perugino, Tintoretto, Titian, and an El Greco among others.

Gelato: Sorbetteria Castiglione on Via Castiglione (maybe a little off the beaten tourist track)
Interesting bar/cafe for apertivo: Le Stanza is in a former chapel and has fresco ceilings
Restaurant: Twinside is the less formal bistrot that shares a kitchen and staff with the more upscale Caminetto d’oro.

We loved our all day food tour with Italian Days and finding the oddities in Piazza Maggiore. Check out Bologna On Foot blog.