Italy/Slovenia 2024; Day 11, June 1 - Bologna, Italy

 

Today was the day we had scheduled to take the "secret food tour of Bologna". But first, we had time to visit the open air market at the Mercato Ritrovato, in the nortwest part of the Quadrilatero. Walking early in the morning, we crossed through a rather empty Piazza Maggiore.  Here, the clock tower - part of the Palazzo d'Accursio

The Basilica di San Petronio is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the Bishop of Bologna in the fifth century.

Construction began in 1390 and its main facade has remained unfinished since. It was only consecrated in 1954 and became host to the relics of Bologna's patron saint only since 2000.

Early risers get the Palazzo Maggiore all to themselves...

Walking down the Via Uggo Bassi, we were pulled, like a moth to the flame, into the Antico Caffe Scaletto.  

After selecting our coronetto pastries, we sidled up to the counter, like locals, to enjoy our cappuccinos with a shot of water.  I do love the pistacchio!

This caffe was amazing.  Even the varieties of sweetener were displayed in an artful form!

We arrived early to the Piazzetta Anna Magnani, where the open air market was located so I walked around a bit. 

Across the street, I walked down an arm of the Parco del Cavaticcio  and down into a terrace that included a portion of the now defunct Canale Navile. For about 700 years, this Navigation Canal was the main way to go east, connecting to all the ports along the Adriatic sea. Ten locks were built in the upper part of the canal to navigate through different terrain levels. Numerous canals in different valleys were used for the navigation in the lower part. Unfortunately, the waterway was downgraded from the navigation canal to the irrigation canal in 1964. The system of locks was destroyed and the importance of the canal was forgotten. Still remaining along its 35 kms of length, you can admire ruins of paper factories, bridges, wash-houses, drains, one hydroelectric plant from 1901, one port and the beautiful mouth of its confluence with the Reno river.

Finally, the gates to the market were opened and we entered with the other eager shoppers.

Shoppers lined up with their carts and bags to scoop up the local produce for the day's meal.

Fresh cherries and peaches were in abundance.

Of course, beautiful bouquets of flowers were on display - roses, sweetpeas, thistle, corn flowers and more...

The herb dealer...

More ruby red cherries.  I implored Kathi to get a sack full, but she resisted.

More fresh vegetables and luminous fruit.

Focaccia for sale...

And a fish monger...

What a vivid and sensuous experience!  It's always fun to find these pockets of Italian daily life and covet their access to such healthy foods.

On the way back towards the Quadrilatero, we passed this park chosen by Bologna to commemorate the terrorist attacks on New York City's Twin Towers in 2001.

We hurried back and met our "secret food tour" guide, Clare, under the porticoes of the Palazzo della Mercanzia. We were in a group of about eight couples, all wanting to know more about the local foods and their preparers.

Our first stop on the tour was a small shop on the Via Zamboni, Il Banco del Pane.

We started our tour with a taste of something sweet!

Next, we headed to La Prosciutteria to see how tortellini, inspired by the belly button of Venus, was made.

Above the restaurant, on the second floor, is where the tortellini was made.  Even though the pasta making operation was technically closed on a Saturday, the cooks were kind enough to show us how the tasty pasta is made from scratch and formed into those lovely belly buttons.  

Note the meter-long rolling pins in the background and the large floured wooden tabletops used to roll out the dough before making it into uniform sheets of pasta.  Decades of repetitive motion had honed their skills, and the women demonstrated a quick and fluid motion.

I wish I knew Italian so I knew what the tortellini makers were talking about.  Some didn't seem too happy, as expected, to be working on their day off, and I'm sure there was some quiet spoken and visual signs of their exasperation for tourists.

Our next stop was on the Via Guglielmo Oberdan, was the delicatessen Bruno e Franco; as you can see, not your average deli!

Guide Clare picked up some mortadella, salami, capicola, prosciutto for us to snack on later in the tour.

Kathi is a great cook and works mightily to prepare Italian foods how her nona taught her.  She peppered guide Clare with questions and told her about our family carrying on the Italian tradition of hand-making ravioli on New Year's Day.  Kathi's grandfather made a device for pressing and shaping the pasta into ravioli sheets and then we use a brass hand-held wheel cutter to separate the squares.  Clare seemed impressed and our cred grew among our peers.

Looking down the Via degli Orefici with the Torre dell’Arengo in the background.

Our next stop was the Osteria del Sole.  An osteria, in its essence, is a meeting place where a glass of wine and conversation could be shared among friends.  The Osteria del Sole is one of the oldest in Bologna, established in 1465.  It does not provide food, it's perhaps the equivalent of a wine bar, which is why Clare purchased and brought food with her.  First, we sampled wine from the region.

For those unfamiliar, Clare told us about the various meats and cheeses being served, how they were made, and their place in local, traditional culture.

A charcuterie like this below would be a typical daytime snack.  They were all delicious, but the salami was still my favorite.  I'm afraid I have not risen to the full appreciation of the thinly-sliced and delicate tastes of the porcine persuasion.  More wine please....

We each got a taste of all that Clare had brought, and it was hard to restrain our portions since all our walking had energized our appetites. 

We polished off our wine and the charcuterie became empty signaling it was time to go.  

We continued to weave our way through the side-streets and alleys in the Quadrilatero, here walking in the shadow of the Torre Guidozagni.

Originally built as a tower-house, probably in the 13th century, it's a modest 20 meters tall.  A narrow base and thin construction may have contributed to a portion of the top collapsing in 1487 destroying the house.  It was restored in 1926 which saved it from further collapse.  

Daydreaming about this as my own balcony window... 

Time for more food!  Near the Oiazza VIII Agosto, we ducked into La Trattoria del Rosso for some sustainous.

That included more wine, of course, tortellini (finally!), and some tagliatelle artigianali alla Bolognese.  Yum!  Please sir, can I have some more!

Fun Fact:  Legend has it that tagliatelle was created to imitate the long blond hair of Lucrezia Borgia, on the occasion of her wedding to the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso l d'Este.  Pasta in the shapes of belly buttons, hair, what next?!

Now Clare guided us through the streets adjoining the university district and she pointed out the Osteria Le Moline, popular with students.  

The osteria is located in a historic building on the Via delle Moline, which takes its name from the water-powered mills that used to produce wheat flour, a main ingredient in pasta.  As we learned from the Canale Navile ealier, Bologna is known as the "ancient city of water", as it was criscrossed by numerous canals, which are today almost entirely covered by road surfaces.  Only some visual reminders remain, with one being close by. 

Walking along the Via Zamboni in the university district, underneath the expansive portici (porticoes).  

Before long, we came to the Piazza Verdi, located in the heart of the university district. Dedicated to the Italian musician Giuseppe Verdi, as you can see from its festive decoration, the square is used today for open-air cultural events.  It also was home to the student-led, "Sardines" protest movement against the political rhetoric of right-wing leader Matteo Salvini.

The name "Sardines" came from the idea of organizing their rallies with high numbers of participants, packed together like sardines.

We paused for a moment outside the Palazzo Magnani for a selfie with these poppy sculptures - poppies are Kathi's favorite!

Continuing on the Via Zamboni, we came across the beautiful little square next to the Chiesa di San Donato.

I love how the streets and squares are designed only for pedestrians during the day and dedicated as gathering spaces for communion and outdoor dining. 

Returning now to the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, home of the two towers, cooks at the Bottega Portici display their culinary skill, making tortellini for all the world to see.  

En route along the Via Caprarie, the clock tower in the Piazza Maggiore looming in the background.  

We hung a right onto the Via  Drapperie and into the Drogheria Gilberto grocery store and then were escorted into their cellar for more tutelage about Italian wine and... 

perhaps more importantly, about balsamic vinegar!  We were schooled on how balsamic vinegar is made and the changes in taste (and price!) brought about by the aging process (not unlike with cheese or pork).  This was just a teaser for the coming Guisto family farm and balsamic-making tour we planned to take in nearby Modena.

Does your local circa 1905 pocket grocery store have a chandelier?  They should all look like this one!  

Is there any question that fine wine and fine food are revered among the Bolognese?!

The "secret food tour" continues.  Just across the street, we ducked into the pastry shop of Paolo Atti & Figli Panificio to sample their 

Torta degli Addobbi, a sweet rice cake that was traditionally prepared during the namesake Festa degli Addobbi (the Feast of Decorations).

At the time of this Christian event, established in 1700 in Bologna, it was customary to show colored drapes (addobbi in Italian) at the windows, as a sign of appreciation.​  During the feast, the houses of parishioners were open to visits by neighbors, acquaintances, and guests to whom they offered this rice cake.

What do you eat after traditional sweets?  More sweets of course!  Our last stop on the food tour was Creameria La Vecchia Stalla (Via Santo Stefano) for some gelato.

Based on the translation, it would seem that the creamery was housed in a former "old stable".  Nevertheless, the gelato was good!  The "secret food tour" was a great way to sample lots of traditional Italian and Bolognese foods.  Our guide, Clare, was very knowledgeable and personable, and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely.  Well worth to cost!

It was now about 2:30 in the afternoon.  Since we were in the vicinity, we were encouraged to visit the Piazza Santo Stefano and its Basilica, including its vaults and crypts, in a complex know as the "Complex of the Seven Churches".

Around 100 AD, a rich Bolognese matron built a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Isis on the site of a natural spring where the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre stands today. In 393 the Bishop Ambrose of Milan (patron Saint of beekeepers) discovered the nearby  tombs of the first Christian martyrs of Bologna, Vitalis and Agricola, and built a devotion there. By 450, Petronius, the Bishop of Bologna, built a church on the site with its current shape and size, dedicating it to the two martyrs. While tradition identifies Petronius as the as the creator of the Basilica, meant to imitate the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the church of Saints Vitalis and Agricola dates back earlier in the 4th century and preserves the sarcophagi of the two martyrs. Since 2020, the complex has been home to an order of Franciscan monks.

Inside the Basilica ...

A lovely pieta...

Ascending to the alter...

The beautifully ornate alter...

In the 4th century, while Saint Petronius was building the church, he converted the former temple of the goddess of Isis into a baptistry, reconsecrating the site's natural spring with a vial of water from the Jordan River and choosing it as his burial place. In a cell surmounted by an altar with a pulpit, lies the tomb of Saint Petronius.

The bell tower and adjacent buildings, the courtyard of Pilate, as well as other buildings of the Monastery were all built in the 11th century.   

Back inside, a dedication to soldiers of the Royal Italian Army, originally formed in 1836 as a light infantry unit, known as the Bersaglieri.

The bell tower, cloister, and well...

Traveling just a few blocks, we circled back to our starting point next to Le Due Torri.

We returned to our apartment for some rest and relaxation, but ventured out again around 8 pm for a traditionally-timed Italian dinner.  We wandered about for a bit, looking for a nice place to dine al fresco.  We finally chose San Silvestro in Cantina, with seating in the Piazza Minghetti.

We selected our wine of choice and a bottle of frizzante.

We must've been famished since there are no photos of the primi, but we got tortellino in cappone's broth (Kathi) and I did a repeat of the tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese (comfort food).  For dessert, we shared a lovely vanilla panna cotta with raspberry sauce!

It was after 10 pm as we made our way home.  Still busy, the Piazza Maggiore was glowing in the evening darkness.

The Neptune Fountain at night...

Its stepped base served as a magnet, drawing the weary for a moment of rest.  

I love the shadow of Neptune projected onto the wall of the Palazzo d'Accursio.  

Still crowed, the illuminated arched passageway of the 13th century palace, Palazzo Re Enzo.

One must always remember to look up; the artwork is everywhere!

In the evening, bright porticoes invite guests and travelers to linger for conversation and friendship.

A lovely, small devotion we passed each day and night, heading out or stumbling in, on our way to our apartment.  I loved this one for it's uncharacteristic depiction of Joseph with the baby Jesus.

Italian dinners are a late affair and, even after 10:30 pm, revelers are in no hurry to depart. 

Soon, we rounded the corner onto Via Cartoleria, opened the huge wooden doors, unlocked the iron courtyard gate, climbed the stone stairs, found the door to our apartment, washed and hung clothes, and sank into a deep sleep.