Easy Way to a Beautiful Italian Vacation: Bologna, Italy

One Italian city that is still undiscovered by the great majority of the vacation travelers that visits Italy every year is Bologna.
Located in the north, Bologna has strategic position in the Italian railway system as main junction for major train routes, allows short transfers to the main Italian cities; Florence is one-hour away, less than two hours to Venice and Milan, and the furthest away is Rome reachable in little more than two hours train ride.
But once arrived, it's way easy to decide that leaving Bologna, even for a day trip, can wait until your next trip to Italy.

The origins of the city dates back to 9th century BC as an Etruscan village named "Felsina". In the 4th century BC fell under Gallic domination and was ruled by the "Galli Boi" until 189 BC, when was conquered by the rising Roman Empire, becoming a colony and renamed "Bononia". In 88 BC, was declared Roman city and the Bolognesi were given Roman citizenship status, expanding the city and building infrastructures that, for the most part, are still in perfect conditions; like the aqueduct and several routes. One above all is the Via Emilia; 162 miles long, connecting in a straight line, Bologna to Rimini on the east, and Piacenza on the west side.

Still maintaining parts of the protective walls built between the 3rd and 4th century and 10 of the beautiful original 12 gates that gave access to the city, still untouched, Bologna is Europe's second largest medieval city still in place and perfectly preserved, second only to Venice.

In 1256 the city's authorities abolished slavery and reached the peak of his power at the end of the 13th century, when Bologna was among the five largest cities in Europe and third in Italy.

During that period was custom, for the more wealthy families, to build tower houses to display their power, unfortunately out of the several dozens that were built, only 21 are still standing.

The two most famous towers in Bologna are the "Asinelli" and the "Garisenda", They stand next to eachother and, known as "The Two Towers" have the peculiarity that, like the Tower of Pisa, they are both leaning.