THE ARCHITECTURAL GALLERY IN KENSINGTON
19 Kensington Court Place
London W8 5BJ
Phone: 020 7937 7222
Email: info@gallery19.com
Mon to Sat 10am - 6pm

48 HOURS IN BOLOGNA


March 9, 2016

 

Last weekend Gallery 19 director Sandra French and manager Alex French flew to Bologna for the FAMA ART show. This is FAMA ART's second year back in Bologna after – unsuccessfully – trying to merge the show with larger home and art shows in Rome and Milan. This is great news! FAMA ART deals exclusively with picture framing and Bologna is such a fantastic city. Sandra and Alex spent the weekend in Bologna and here are a few of their recommendations.

Head straight for Piazza Maggiore, the heart of Bologna, and visit the church of Saint Petronio and the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte in the Palazzo Communale. Alex is currently writing her MA disertation on the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentilschi and visited the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte rather than the Pinacoteca because the only painting by Artemisia Gentileschi in Bologna hangs there. The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna has a fantastic collection and is definately worth a look in. Tamburini - a gourmet deli and self-service restaurant on Via Caprarie – is a fantastic place for lunch. Pop into San Domenico and window shop in Galleria Cavour. Then shop along the Via dell'Indipendenza and a tiny artisan market where Alex bought a hand-stitched tobacco pouch and Sandra bought a purse made out of a tennis ball. Visit the Abbazia di Santo Stefano which is seven churches in one (make sure to buy some honey or holywater from the shop where everything has been made in monasteries). Have a coffee and pistachio gelato from GROM as you take your evening passeggiata along Via d'Azegio. Eat somewhere in the Mercato di Mezzo, a maze of medieval alleys made up of Via Drapperie, Via Clavature, Via degli Orefici and Via del Pratello among others. We had a superb meal at Zerocinquantello on Via Pescherie Vecchie (as picture framers we appreciated the ornate gold frames filled with whole parma hams)!!

Bologna e una citta bellissima – enjoy!!!