Bologna is a city located in northern Italy and serves as the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region. It ranks as the seventh most populous city in Italy, with a population of 390,734 inhabitants representing 150 different nationalities. The surrounding metropolitan province has a population exceeding 1 million people as of 2025.
The city is primarily known for being the home of the University of Bologna, which is recognized as the oldest university in continuous operation. This institution was established in AD 1088.