City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 369,955), capital of Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy.
Located north of Florence , it lies at the northern foot of the Apennines . Originally the Etruscan town of Felsina, it became a Roman military colony с 190 BC. It was subject to the Byzantine exarchate of Ravenna from the 6th century AD. It became a free commune in the 12th century. Incorporated into the Papal States in 1506, it was the scene of the crowning of Charles V in 1530. After a brief period of French occupation, it was restored to the Papal States in 1815, and in 1861 it was united to the Kingdom of Italy. The University of Bologna is Europe's oldest university. The city is a road and rail centre for traffic between northern and southern Italy. It is the site of excellent medieval and Renaissance architecture and is famous for its cuisine. It was governed by communists in the second half of the 20th century.