Bologna, Small but Magnificent

When it comes to everything, elegance is the answer

Lucinda journeyed to the southern part of Northern Italy to show us all the beauty of Bologna, a city that encapsulates the best that Italy has to offer: narrow streets intersected by tight canals, classic Italian architecture, luscious gardens, and authentic gelato.

Some of the best views of Bologna come when simply passing through its alleyways. Look quick, though, because you might just miss the exquisiteness of the view down the canal, with the sun hitting high off the pastel colored buildings and reflecting off the canal below. Petite bridges connect one side of the canal to the other and are the perfect place to snap a photo. Lucinda was lucky that one resident had a delightful little garden on the back balcony of their home, adding yet another color to the palette.

Once Lucinda made her way through the back-alleys and on to the street she found that her experience had only just begun. Passing by the charming architecture of Bologna’s buildings, she found herself at the Fountain of Neptune, one of the Seven Secrets of Bologna. Thanks to the influence of ancient Greece across the continent, sculptures in Europe often depict naked people, and this fountain was no exception. If your life is lacking nudity…maybe traveling in Europe can help you out a little… Unfortunately for Neptune, the cardinal of the church in the 1500’s thought he was a little too well-endowed, and sculptor Giambologna was ordered to reduce Neptune’s manhood. Ouch! The women at the bottom of the sculpture, however, have been free to continue lactating fountain water for over 500 years now. Unlike the Fountain of Neptune, the gelato was no secret; gelato is a way of life!