Tour and excursion

Bologna city centre tour

9th September, from 5:00 pm

The journey starts at Piazza Maggiore, the main square that has been the centre of civic life for centuries. We will then move to Via Orefici and Mercanzie, narrow streets known for their markets, their vibrant shops and the charming atmosphere. Next, we will arrive at the Two Medieval Towers, Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda, symbols of Bologna’s historical prominence.

The tour will end with Piazza Santo Stefano followed by a visit to the Archiginnasio, the first permanent seat of the University of Bologna, founded in the year 1088, the oldest university in the Western world.

The tour will last about one hour and a half.

Comacchio and Po Delta Park

10th September, from 2:00 pm

Accompanied by an environmental guide and through an evocative navigation we will visit one of the largest brackish areas in Italy: the Comacchio Valley. The tour will take the participants along the ancient bed of the river Po by coasting the former Comacchio salt marshes, a nesting site of the flamingos: their colony now counts around 25,000 specimens, some of which can be seen during the navigation.

A stop will follow at the old ‘Casoni da pesca’ (fishermen’s huts), where the guide will illustrate the ancient fishing methods. The tour includes a visit to the Archaeological Park, which houses the reconstruction of two dwellings of the ancient Etruscan town of Spina.
The afternoon will end with a walking tour around Comacchio city centre, characteristically crossed by canals, and a short visit to its main monuments and architectural features such as Trepponti, Ponte degli Sbirri, Antico Ospedale, Loggia del Grano, Torre dell’Orologio and the Cathedral.
In the evening, the social dinner of the Symposium will be served in a typical restaurant.