Nev­er alone: In Bologna, com­mu­ni­ty is every­thing

In Bologna, unless you really want to be, you’re hardly ever alone. Anyone who comes here quickly realises: this city thrives on community. I noticed that straight away in my studies too, as the courses are very much focused on dialogue and exchange.

The university as a social space – and as a cooking studio

Most classes are structured as lectures, but you’re often encouraged to debate various topics in open discussion. That means it’s easy to strike up conversations – even during the breaks. After just one week, I already knew most of the students in my course that I now spend my free time with – both other exchange students and Italian ones.

The university also offers a range of extracurricular programmes that help you connect with others across different faculties and shared interests – for example, a multi-week theatre workshop. What I personally enjoyed most, though, was a tortellini cooking class.

That class was the first time I truly experienced the sense of lived community that Bologna offers. Together – with care, good conversation, and plenty of laughter – we made tortellini at a long table set up right in the corridor of the Humanities Faculty. Other students wandered by, joined in the chat, lent a hand – everyone was welcome.

Connection and care in the neighbourhood

I can feel that same openness in my neighbourhood too: It didn’t take long before not just my immediate neighbours knew me, but also people from the surrounding buildings – and, of course, all the neighbourhood kids. Everyone always takes time for a quick chat – about how things are going, how the bus drivers are on strike again… and by the way, have you heard about the city festival next weekend?

Here, you’re not seen as just a temporary visitor. It doesn’t matter whether you speak Italian or not – and if needed, hands and gestures do the trick. I've already been invited over for dinner by my neighbours, and gone out for several aperitivi with the couple from the first floor.

Even at the bakery, the café around the corner and my favourite gelato shop, you become a regular from your second visit. Once, I mentioned I had a midterm exam coming up, and when I was there the next time, they asked me how it had gone. When I said I had passed with full marks, the staff were genuinely happy for me. This kind of warmth and interest in each other’s lives touches me time and again – and it’s a big part of why I feel so at home in Bologna.

Celebrating community: Holidays, festivals and film nights

Even on a city-wide level, life in Bologna often takes place out in public – there’s almost always something going on. Even beyond national holidays like the Festa della Liberazione (25 April) or the Festa della Repubblica (2 June), the city’s main square regularly transforms into a concert venue, an open-air cinema, a stage for public debates or the start and finish line for local fun runs.

One of my highlights was the StraBologna run – a city marathon with routes of varying lengths. It wasn’t about who was fastest; many people simply strolled through the streets, some with prams, others with dogs. Maybe a few actually ran – but what really mattered was raising money for charity and enjoying a shared walk through Bologna’s narrow alleyways. The same spirit applies to other events as well. Once a month, volunteers organise the “Cantata”, where people come together to sing. It doesn’t matter whether you sing well or even know the lyrics – what counts is having fun together.

And so, Bologna is teaching me what community in a city can look like. In big and small moments, in everyday encounters and as community among neighbours. It’s that sense of togetherness that makes Bologna so special to me, and why I never feel alone here.

30.06.2025