Rated as one of the five "most affluent" cities in Italy, the poet Martial defined the city as a cult, anticipating by almost one thousand years the "scholarly" attribute recognized during the medieval period and which remains with the city today. This is thanks to the glorious Studio, the oldest university in the world which was founded around 1088 and whose international prestige have been achieved while it educated some famous and important scholars. Their reputation brings thousands of students to Bologna each year, including future popes, monarchs and famous names, such as Thomas Becket, Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarca, Erasmus from Rotterdam and Copernicus.

The historic center of Bologna is one of the most preserved in Europe and second only to Venice in Italy. It is dominated by huge ancient towers and full of ancient buildings and splendid churches which testify to the cultural importance bestowed on the city over the centuries. Of the towers that were once over one hundred, today the Two Towers have become a symbolic monument of Bologna: the leaning Garisenda (3.22 meter tilt) and the Asinelli which is 98 meters high, the highest stone building of medieval times. Today the urban system in the historic center has remained loyal to its medieval planning, with the walled circle from 1300 and the 12 entrance doors.

Another unusual element to the city of Bologna which identifies and stigmatizes the character of this welcoming city are its porticos, ideal as meeting places and full of corners to discover. With over 40 km of porticos, some made of wood in the Romanesque houses and others dating from the Gothic period from 1300 to 1400, to the harmonious porticos from the Baroque age to the picturesque porticos of the more modern houses, the city offers a charming architectural anthology in a wonderful setting. Furthermore, Bologna has the longest portico in the world: it has 666 arches along 3.5 km on Guardia hill which dominates the city, arriving to the sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca.

As well as being defined as "scholarly", Bologna has always been defined as "fat" due to its refined cooking traditions. Testimony to the recurring pleasure of the palate are delicious tortellini which, according to the "Secchia Rapita" by Tassoni, are modeled on the shape of Venus' bellybutton. Bologna is also home to tagliatelle, often mixed with Bolognese sauce, which were inspired by the long, blond locks of Lucrezia Borgia. Not to mention ricotta tortelloni, passatelli in broth, mixed boiled meat in a green sauce and the famous mortadella, known around the world under the name "Bologna". The city's attitude to “good living” is sublime with the famous restaurants where the Bolognese mingle with welcome guests to the city while drinking a glass of wine and sampling the house specialties late into the night.