DiscoverEU Entries 2#: Bologna

La Dotta,

La Grassa,

La Rossa, 

the three epithets of Bologna.

“The Learned” is a reference to the university of Bologna, which glories in its title as the oldest university in Europe, and prides itself with the students which they once taught, some of which include the well-renowned Italian writers and poets Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio.

“The Fat” directly refers to Bologna’s cuisine, regarding the city as the culinary capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, responsible for the production of various iconic Italian specialties; Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella, Tortellini, balsamic vinegar, and the starchild, Ragù bolognese. Ragù alla bolognese, or ragù for short, is the world’s most celebrated Italian meat sauce variation, and while originally a recipe brought down to Bologna by the French, over time the rich meat-and-vegetable stew the wealthy French aristocrats knew was refined into the famous Bolognese specialty we know of today. Lastly

“The Red”, initially presumed to represent the signature meat sauce, in truth honours the city’s architecture, its terracotta tiled roofs and mediaeval buildings significant to the city’s look, selling the very image of “you are what you eat.” While the city basks in the popularity of its own cuisine, education and aesthetics, its passion for film is as equally brilliant, as Bologna hosts “Il Cinema Ritrovato”, the world's largest festival dedicated to rare archives, silent films, and restored cinematic masterpieces. Organised annually in June by Cineteca di Bologna, the event draws thousands of cinephiles to the city streets for a shared cinematic spectacle; 9 days, 500 films across eight venues, the city crowds itself with locals and travelers alike, with Piazza Maggiore, the city centre square situated in the heart of Bologna, gathering the rowdiest audiences.

To further emphasize the city’s adoration for film, this year’s festival ran alongside a recently restored Bolognese summer tradition, Sotto le stelle del cinema, or Under the Stars of Cinema, which for over 57 nights across the months of June, July, and August, showcases iconic cult classics and acclaimed masterpieces from the past and present of great cinema, delivering an unforgettable finale to the city’s summer film season.