Emilia's capital, BOLOGNA , is a thriving city, whose light engineering and hi-tech industries have brought conspicuous wealth to the old brick palaces and porticoed streets and squares. Previously, it was best known for its food - undeniably the richest in the country - and for its politics. "Red Bologna" became the Italian Left's stronghold and spiritual home, having evolved out of the resistance movement to German occupation during World War II. Consequently, Bologna's train station was singled out by fascist groups in 1980 for a bomb attack in Italy's worst postwar terrorist atrocity. A glassed-in jagged gash in the station wall commemorates the tragedy in which 84 people died.

After Venice, the city is one of the best looking in the country. The city centre is startlingly medieval in plan, a jumble of red brick, tiled roofs and balconies radiating out from the great central square of Piazza Maggiore. There are enough monuments and curiosities for several days' leisured exploration, but Bologna is really enjoyable just for itself. Thanks to its university, which makes up one-fifth of the city's population of 500,000, and an enlightened local government, there's always something happening - be it theatre, music, the city's strong summer festival, or just the café and bar scene, which is among northern Italy's most convivial. The only problem is expense; nightlife, particularly, can leave your wallet steamrolled, and finding a low-priced place to stay can be very difficult, especially during one of the major trade shows