Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, has been nicknamed Bologna la dotta, la grassa, la rossa ("Bologna the erudite, the fat, and the red").

Bologna is called "learned" or "erudite" because its university is the oldest in Europe. The large number of students still livens up the city streets today, having a strong impact on cultural life (Bologna was the European Capital of Culture in 2000), as well as on the nightlife.

It is said that the food in Bologna is the best in Italy - not without reason was the city also called "Bologna the fat". Some of the most famous Italian culinary specialties were born here - among them the mortadella salami, tortellini pasta, and ragù meat sauce.

The palaces, churches, and brick towers of the medieval center (as well as its left-leaning political tendencies) have also earned it the nickname "Bologna the red".