n the heart of the University district, a tall, sturdy brick tower stands out: it is the Specola, the astronomical observatory built in 1712. For centuries, this was the place where Bolognese scientists observed the stars and calculated the secrets of the cosmos. Recently, the tower has been undergoing a major restoration to return itContinue reading “The Eye on the Universe: The Specola Tower”
Category Archives: curiosity
The Talking Tree: The Giant Plane Tree of Piazza Malpighi
🇬🇧 In the middle of the traffic of Piazza Malpighi stands a silent giant that has seen centuries of history: a monumental plane tree planted in the 16th century. It is one of the oldest trees in Italy. Legend says that its roots reach the ancient underground canals and that, if you listen closely, theContinue reading “The Talking Tree: The Giant Plane Tree of Piazza Malpighi”
The Devil on the Wall: The Secrets of Piazza Santo Stefano
🇬🇧 The Renaissance Devil and the Spiteful Neighbors: The Secrets of Piazza Santo Stefano Bologna is known as “The Learned,” but beneath its intellectual porticos lies a fascinating side made of ancient rivalries and artistic revenges. The most iconic example is found in the beautiful Piazza Santo Stefano, a place of peace and spirit that,Continue reading “The Devil on the Wall: The Secrets of Piazza Santo Stefano”
The Skinned Men: The Secret Heart of the Archiginnasio
🇬🇧 The Skinned Men: The Secret Heart of the Archiginnasio Inside the magnificent Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, once the main seat of the University of Bologna, lies one of the city’s most breathtaking rooms: the Teatro Anatomico (Anatomical Theatre). Built in 1637 and entirely carved from spruce wood, this amphitheater-like room was where medical students gathered toContinue reading “The Skinned Men: The Secret Heart of the Archiginnasio”
The Alchemist’s Enigma: The Mystery of Aelia Laelia Crispis
🇬🇧 The Alchemist’s Enigma: The Mystery of Aelia Laelia Crispis Hidden within the Medieval Civic Museum of Bologna lies a stone that has fascinated and puzzled scholars, poets, and alchemists for centuries. It is the “Pietra di Bologna,” a 16th-century inscription dedicated to a mysterious woman: Aelia Laelia Crispis. The text is a series ofContinue reading “The Alchemist’s Enigma: The Mystery of Aelia Laelia Crispis”
🇬🇧 Bologna’s Golden Drop: The Legend of Pignoletto
🇬🇧 You cannot say you’ve truly tasted Bologna without sipping a glass of Pignoletto. This wine is the undisputed king of the Colli Bolognesi (Bolognese Hills). Its history is ancient: even Pliny the Elder, in the 1st century AD, wrote about a wine called “Pinuletum,” describing it as so unique that it wasn’t particularly sweet—aContinue reading “🇬🇧 Bologna’s Golden Drop: The Legend of Pignoletto”
Luigi Galvani (The Bolognese “Frankenstein”)
The Scientist Who Inspired Frankenstein 🇬🇧 English Text While the name Luigi Galvani is synonymous with “animal electricity,” the real-life inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was likely his nephew, the Bolognese scientist Giovanni Aldini. While Galvani studied the twitching of frog legs in his laboratory in Bologna, Aldini took these experiments to a macabre extreme.Continue reading “Luigi Galvani (The Bolognese “Frankenstein”)”
Look Up! The Mystery of the Three Arrows in Corte Isolani.
🇬🇧 If you haven’t seen the “Three Arrows” yet, or if you’ve only managed to spot one, it’s time to head to No. 19 Strada Maggiore. Here stands Casa Isolani, one of the rare surviving examples of 13th-century civil architecture. This extraordinary structure, with its 9-meter-high oak beams supporting the third floor, features one ofContinue reading “Look Up! The Mystery of the Three Arrows in Corte Isolani.”
The Excellence of Education in Bologna: Laura Bassi
🇬🇧 On International Women’s Day, we look back at a milestone in Bolognese history: Laura Bassi. In 1732, she became the first woman in the world to be appointed as a university professor. She was a pioneer of knowledge and a symbol of the academic prestige that has made Bologna famous for centuries. At ALCE,Continue reading “The Excellence of Education in Bologna: Laura Bassi”
Bologna’s Medieval Telephone: The Secret of the Podestà.
🇬🇧 English Text If you walk under the Voltone del Podestà in Bologna, you’ll often see people facing the corners of the pillars, seemingly talking to the wall. They aren’t crazy! They’re testing one of the city’s most fascinating acoustic secrets. Thanks to the vault’s unique curvature, if you whisper into one corner, someone inContinue reading “Bologna’s Medieval Telephone: The Secret of the Podestà.”