Bologna | |||
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Comune | |||
Comune di Bologna | |||
A collage of the city, showing Fountain of Neptune, Piazza Maggiore, Basilica of San Petronio, Two towers (Due Torri), Tagliatelle al ragù bolognese (dish of Bologna origin), and endless city arcades typical for Bologna
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Nickname(s): The Learned One, the Fat One, the Red One | |||
Location of Bologna in Italy | |||
Coordinates: 44°30′27″N 11°21′5″E / 44.50750°N 11.35139°ECoordinates: 44°30′27″N 11°21′5″E / 44.50750°N 11.35139°E | |||
Country | Italy | ||
Region | Emilia-Romagna | ||
Province / Metropolitan city | Bologna (BO) | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Virginio Merola (PD) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 140.7 km2 (54.3 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 54 m (177 ft) | ||
Population (29 February 2016) | |||
• Total | 387 554 (urban) 1 005 831 (metro) |
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Demonym(s) | Bolognesi | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 40100 | ||
Dialing code | 051 | ||
Patron saint | St. Petronius | ||
Saint day | 4 October | ||
Website | Official website |
Bologna City Council Consiglio Comunale di Bologna |
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Leadership | |
Mayor
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Structure | |
Seats | 32 |
Political groups
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Majority (22)
Opposition (14) |
Elections | |
Party-list proportional representation | |
Last election
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5–19 June 2016 |
Meeting place | |
Palazzo d'Accursio, Bologna | |
Website | |
Official website |
Bologna (/bəˈloʊnjə/ bə-LOHN-yə; Italian pronunciation: [boˈloɲːa]; Emilian: Bulåggna, pronounced [buˈlʌɲːa]; Latin: Bŏnṓnĭa) is the largest city (and the capital) of the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, located in the heart of a metropolitan area (officially recognized by the Italian government as a città metropolitana) of about one million.
The first settlements date back to at least 1000 BC. The city has been an urban centre, first under the Etruscans (Velzna/Felsina) and the Celts (Bona), then under the Romans (Bononia), then again in the Middle Ages, as a free municipality (for one century it was the fifth largest European city based on population). Home to the oldest university in the world,University of Bologna, founded in 1088, Bologna hosts thousands of students who enrich the social and cultural life of the city. Famous for its towers and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre (one of the largest in Italy) thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s, on the heels of serious damage done by the urban demolition at the end of the 19th century as well as that caused by wars.