BOLOGNA (bo-lon'ya), one of the oldest, largest, and richest cities of Italy, capital of the province of same name, in a fertile plain at the foot of the Apen nines, between the rivers Reno and Sa vena. It is the see of an archbishop, and has extensive manufactures of silk goods, velvet, artificial flowers, etc. Among the principal buildings are the Palazzo Co munale, which contains some magnificent halls adorned with statues and paint ings; the Palazzo del Podesta; and the Church or Basilica of St. Petronio. Among the hundred other churches, St. Pietro, St. Salvatore, St. Domenico, St. Giovanni in Monte, St. Giacomo, Mag giore, all possess rich treasures of art. The leaning towers, Degli Asinelli and Garisenda, dating from the 12th cen tury, are among the most remarkable ob it ..
jects in the city; and the market is adorned with the colossal bronze Neptune of Giovanni di Bologna. An arcade of 640 arches leads to the Church of Ma donna di St. Lucca, situated at the foot of the Apennines, near Bologna, and the resort of pilgrims from all parts of Italy. Bologna has long been renowned for its university, claiming to have been founded in 1088, and having a library which numbers over 200,000 volumes and 9,000 MSS. The Biblioteca municipale has a
library which numbers about 160,000 vol umes, with 6,000 MSS. The Church of St. Domenico has a library of 120,000 volumes. The Academy of Fine Arts has a rich collection of paintings by na tive artists, such as Francia, and the later Bolognese school, of which the Caraccis, Guido Reni, Domenichino, and Albano were the founders. Bologna was founded by the Etruscans under the name of Felsina; became, in 189 B. C., the Roman colony Bononia; was taken by the Longobards about 728 A. D.; passed into the hands of the Franks, and was made a free city by Charlemagne. In the 12th and 13th centuries it was one of the most flourishing of the Italian republics; but the feuds between the different parties of the nobles led to its submission to the papal see in 1513. Several attempts were made to throw off the Papal yoke, one of which, in 1831, was for a time successful. In 1849 the Austrians obtained possession of it. In 1860 it was annexed to the dominions of King Victor Emmanuel. Pop. about 190,000.