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History
First settlements When
then Roman Empire was founded, inhabitants had already settled in the area of
Bologna for about 1000 years. The first civilization recognized in that period
were the Villanovans (from Villanova, a small town still existing very close to
Bologna), who were considered the precursors of the well knows Etrurians. Bologna’s geographical position between the river Reno and its affluent Savena, explains the prosperous growth of the zone. The fluvial valleys made trade exchanges with Etrurians and Tirreno sea easier. When
it was founded In the VI century B.C. the Etrurians founded a city called Felsina: it was the first name of Bologna. Felsina was considered a real capital city, which maintained trade contacts with Greece. The
Roman Empire In late VI century Felsina was invaded by Celts which gave it the name of Bona. The 30th December 189 B.C. the Romans imposed their hegemony, giving the city another name: Bononia. Bononia’s territory had great resources, and its cultured citizens, along with a position of important crossroads, favored the development of a rich upper middle class. Bononia had a great many activities running, and also important lawyers, playwrights, and its economical contacts with far markets allowed oriental culture to mix with Bologna’s. The
middle age: economical crisis In the middle age, the “dark period” of history, a large part of the city was abandoned and the period of prosperity ceased to exist, along with roman administration structures. Only the local Church was still a point of reference. A legend tells that it was the bishop Petronio who reconstructed the city. Later the most important church in Bologna has been dedicated to the bishop: it is the gothic church of San Petronio. Middle
age: the invaders In
the following centuries other peoples have dominated the area of Bologna, the
Goths, the Byzantines and was also threatened by the Longobards. Bologna is
later given to the Church and administrated by the bishops of Ravenna (a city
nearby), but later obtained a complete autonomy. During
the XI century its economy and urban life sees prosperity again, along with a
demographic development. In 1115 some citizen revolted against the emperor to found a political and commercial system called “Comune”, than could be translated “council”. Middle
age: The University Between the XI and the XII century Bologna’s University was founded. The private teaching of Roman law, begun at the end of the XI century, reached in the following century an European prestige. The presence of the University gave the city a cosmopolitan soul. Middle
age: Forms of government In the second half of 1200 the city is divided in two factions: the guelfi (allied with the pope) and the ghibellini (allied with the emperor). At the end of the century the guelfi imposed their hegemony and the pope reigned over Bologna. Between 1337 and 1344 a new form of government takes the place of the Comune: the Signoria; this meant that a very important aristocrat family ruled the city. The rest of the XIV century is an alternation of Signorias and power exercised by the Church. One of the most important aristocrat family who controlled Bologna were the Bentivoglios. When the power went back to the pope, the govern was conducted by a representative of the pope and a senate made up of 40 members, who were all aristocrats and their office was hereditary. Because it was the North capital of the Papal States, a lot of important events took place there. All along 1500 the economy was florid and important progresses were made in the agriculture, but at the end of the century foreign competition, famines and epidemics caused a crisis: there were unemployment and poverty. Renaissance It is with Renaissance that Bologna was brought back to life; while its fame as University city declined, art and music gave the city a new role in Europe. The
modern age In
the period of French Revolution, the political and social climate changed in
Bologna too and a group of students revolted, but the revolt failed. In 1796 Napoleone Bonaparte’s troops arrive at Bologna and it became part of the Cisalpine Republic. Napoleone made important reforms in order to improve the city’s economy and to reorganize the University. After Napoleone, Bologna became part of the Papal States again. The
Reign of Italy Between 1848 and 1859 two Independence wars took place and in 1861 the Reign of Italy was declared. In the second half of the XIX century the conflicts between the working class and the upper middle class increased; the Socialism was born. From 1896 the whole country had a huge industrial development, the economy grew, but this only lasted until 1913, when Italy was stricken by a crisis that led to the FirstWorld War. Fascism
and World Wars From 1922 fascism came to power. During the Second World War Bologna was bombarded several times during air raids. From 1943 the country was occupied by Germans, who murdered civil population in the Marzabotto’s massacre. The Germans were finally defeated with the Porta Lame battle on November 1944. Reconstruction
and latest events The
years following the end of the war were marked by
reconstruction and urban development. In the sixties the “Comune”
raised its interest in the safeguard of architectonic heritage. In 1970 Bologna became the capital city of the region Emilia Romagna. The latest important historic facts are: the students revolt in 1977, the terrorist bomb at the railway station on August 2 1980 (these are the bad things), and the IX centenary of the University in 1988.
"I
chose passion, I chose to discover the world, I chose life..."
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