BOLOGNA - I Portici

When you visit Bologna one of the things that strikes you most are the twenty-four miles of arcades - the longest in the world. You can enjoy strolling in town during all seasons and are protected from the sun and sheltered from the rain....it is also quite magical to saunter in the early evening, when the sun begins to set, on the way to a dinner party in one of the many beautiful palazzi in the center of town. It was in Bologna that in 1088 the first university in Europe was born and the portici (as they are known) were built to house the growing number of students by extending the upper storeys of the buildings, leaving a covered space for pedestrians and for trading at street level.