Samantha: I'm in a destination that feels both timeless and electric.

Where beneath its iconic red rooftops, a boundless energy and playfulness mingles with the well-preserved fabric of its medieval past.

It's a place where history, art and invention are woven so tightly into daily life, it's in every must-do, must-make and must-eat.

An 11th century hub turned place of pure joy.

I'm in Bologna, Italy.

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world, and I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my Places To Love.

Major funding of Places to Love provided by Oceania Cruises.

Narrator: A journey aboard Oceania Cruises is designed to cultivate curiosity.

Evenings offer craft spirits, international wines and dishes prepared by our master chefs.

That's the Oceania Cruises small ship experience.

Narrator: Ever wonder where your sense of wonder went?

Maybe it's winding its way along the banks of the Colorado River, or waiting in the shadows of giant canyons.

Or maybe it's revealed in all the moments in between.

Introducing Canyon Spirit, a rail experience between Denver, Moab and Salt Lake City.

Canyon Spirit, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

Narrator: Railbookers helps you discover the world by train.

From bucket list dreams to iconic scenic journeys, our Railbookers itinerary includes trains, hotels, sightseeing, transfers and more.

Railbookers offers guests a seamless way to explore the globe on vacation.

Narrator: Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

From exploring our national parks to learning about art and culture in Italy, we've introduced adults to places, ideas and friends.

We are Road Scholar.

We make the world our classroom.

♪ Samantha: Bologna is such a beautiful city, and you're and you're going down these narrow passageways and of course, under the porticos.

And then it just totally opens up to this square.

So clearly we are -- we are in the center of Bologna.

-Yes, exactly.

It opens to Piazza Maggiore in the middle of the city where now we have the city hall of the city.

So the destination of all the places that the Romans chose are still the same after 2,000 years.

I'm Catia Aliberti.

I love to welcome people here in Bologna and in Emilia-Romagna region.

And in Bologna, we like to have open doors.

Samantha: I didn't know Bologna had a -- had a canal.

Or does it have many canals?

-We don't have rivers in Bologna, but a network of artificial canal, clever artificial canals since 1,000 years ago that in many cases are underground so we don't notice that they are there.

And they take the water from two rivers that are outside Bologna.

Samantha: Wow.

There's always secrets to know here.

-Surprises.

Samantha: Bologna is home to the oldest university in the Western world, founded in the year 1088.

Students back then lived and were taught in the homes of scholars.

-We need to wait to... 1512, the first headquarters of the university's building.

-And with this building that really established what we now know of as sort of the university setting, that there was a central.

-It's a modern concept that started here with all the languages and the Latin that was the main language that was used for the lessons.

Samantha: The hallways are covered in coats of arms that signify the student and the country they were from.

Students came as far as South America.

When the university was founded, what did people come here to study?

-So the students that enrich in Bologna would like to follow, the two courses that were available at the time, medicine and law.

And so here we are in the Temple of Medicine, because this room was opened to let the students do the dissection, anatomical dissection.

Only in winter times, because at the time, of course, we didn't have air conditioning.

And so we need to follow the lesson in -- when the climate was favorable.

-So the cadaver would be there?

-Yes, exactly.

In the middle of the room with an assistant that was in the side, showing to all the students that were around seated in this room, the different parts of the body, so the different organs.

Following the instruction of the professor that was seated in the desk nearby, the two big statues that we call the [speaks Italian] because we see statues of human body without skin.

And this is the connection with the anatomy already.

-So they weren't necessarily learning surgical procedures, but just basic anatomy of the human form.

-Exactly.

-Which I would imagine was pretty rare back then, right?

We didn't really know what we looked like underneath the hood, so to speak.

-Yeah, you are totally right.

It was the discovery of a new universe at the time.

Samantha: We are surrounded by key figures in the history of medicine, like Hippocrates from Greece.

But there's also a local from Bologna.

Catia: A professor that was the first plastic surgery doctor, especially for Rhinoplastic reconstruction.

And we can see this statue of this professor that has a nose on his hand.

Can you see?

-[ Laughs ] -Yes.

And so... Samantha: And he's just holding it like a little morsel.

He's the father of the nose job.

Catia: Yes, you are right, with the nose on his hand.

-[ Laughs ] Samantha: On the same floor as the anatomical theater is the library, with books dating from the 20th century down to the 10th.

Fantastic.

-Catia: More than 800,000 books.

-Samantha: So clearly not all in this room.

-Catia: Exactly.

-But I love it.

You have the different categories that we all know in a library.

Catia: Natural sciences, astronomy.

-They must have some pretty special books here.

-Yeah.

-Originals.

Catia: Also handwritten books, so we have also what we call manuscript.

We mentioned astronomy, and Galileo Galilei is also here.

There is a copy of his book.

So it's really to enter inside the history of science.

Samantha: Bologna is a city of porticos, covered walkways, and there are more than 38 miles of them here.

And in 2021 they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The porticoes of Bologna make it just one of the most unique cities in the world.

But they're not just used as, like, passageways for people to get from point A to point B. There are a lot more than that.

Catia: It's true.

If you are walking under the porticos, you can stop.

You can meet a friend.

Meanwhile, you are walking, have a coffee.

And also in the winter days when it's raining, you can stay and walk under the porticos.

It's like a big mom that guards you in some way.

-You are protected by porticos.

-Always protected.

Samantha: I read that they're the -- the lifeblood.

They're the circulatory system of -- of Bologna.

Everything moves and flows.

And as a traveler, I feel like they're -- they just beckon you, right?

You see a portico and it just stretches and you're like, I need to go there, and I don't know why.

Catia: You see the perspective, and you need to follow the flow into the future.

-Now, Bologna has the most porticos of any city in the world.

It also has the longest portico in the world.

This one is close to two and a half miles, mostly uphill, and at the top is one of the icons of this city.

And that would be the sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, a magnificent basilica constructed in 1723.

The hike I'm taking was originally intended in the 18th century for the procession of the sacred icon of the Virgin Mary from the Central Cathedral in Bologna to this sanctuary, and there were intentionally 666 arches to pass under, representing moving away from the devil below to salvation above.

There is a train you can take, but if you do decide to walk the two and a half miles, wear comfortable shoes, especially if you're at risk of fallen arches.

But when you do finally get to the top, it turns out to have been worth every step.

♪ ♪ Beginning my next day in Bologna, I wanted to take a deep dive into its culinary reputation, and I found a perfect guide to take me through the process of creating traditional local pasta dishes from start to finish.

And that start is at the central market Quadrilatero.

-This is such a street.

-Yes, a wonderful street.

Just to see on the right side, on the left side, you see... -Samantha: Food.

-Ester: Yeah.

Food, food.

Everywhere food.

And you look around and you can see something like that.

-I know.

I feel like I could be a bride, Ester, walking down the aisle with this box of beautiful tomatoes.

It's like a -- it's just stunning.

-So I am Cesarine.

My name is Ester Inzani.

And I really very happy to be inside the Cesarine family.

Samantha: Cesarine is a network of home cooks that introduce guests to genuine Italian cuisine through immersive cooking classes and dining in their own homes.

Ester likes to begin her experiences by taking guests like me directly into the Quadrilatero to pick up the ingredients we'll work with later.

Yeah, I think that's perfect.

Ester: Now we are going to buy some sage, some spinach.

Because inside the tortellini in the filling we have ricotta, we have Parmesan and we have spinach.

-Okay.

-Okay?

And then when the tortellini are cooked... -Okay.

-...We have to eat them -with butter and sage.

-Oh.

Because, you know, the taste of sage is something unbelievable.

-It's so nice.

Grazie.

-Oh.

-[ Speaking in Italian ] ♪ Here we are in front of a very famous shop -Simoni.

-Simoni.

And Simoni -- they produce some mortadella.

Samantha: People think, oh, Bologna in America is mortadella, and they're really not at all.

-No.

No.

-Even though there might be -- they might be ancestors, very distant, distant cousins.

Ester: This is the first place in 17th century that where they did the first mortadella and salami, and they did a rule.

They wrote a rule for mortadella of Bologna.

-This really speaks of how serious is the Bolognese take mortadella because this is a certificate protecting it -in a sense.

-Yes, this is protected.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-So this is a very, very nice shop.

Please.

We are here because I want to show you this kind of shop because it's something unbelievable.

[ Speaking in Italian ] Look.

Oh, look, this is the right size of mortadella.

-Wow.

That would win awards.

-And the mortadella, it, uh, it is 15kg.

Samantha: Oh, my gosh, it's a big baby.

Paolo: Like a baby.

-Now I'm getting a close up look at mortadella.

And what is the white?

-The fat of this part of the pork.

-Samantha: Is that the jowl?

-Yeah.

-What other ingredients go into it?

-Different type of meat of pork, only pork.

-Okay.

-The fat and the little quantity of pepper.

-Pepper.

And I can't tell you more because it's a secret.

-It's a secret.

-Oh, I see what's happening here.

-It's a secret recipe.

-Yes.

-Can I try it thinly sliced?

-Why not?

-And can you ask, like, how thin the slice or something?

Some people like a little thicker or...?

-It depends on your taste.

But generally speaking, the most people ask very thin.

-Yes.

-Paolo: Very thin.

Grazie, Marco.

For Samantha.

Fresh mortadella.

Ester: That's for you.

Samantha: You are a perfect gentleman.

Oh, look at that.

That is beautiful.

-You have to taste it.

-I may just roll and put it in my mouth.

Ester: Yeah.

-It melts.

That is so, so good.

Mm.

So this has been a popular meat for hundreds of years.

-Yes.

Yes, yes.

-Why do you think it became so popular back then?

-In Italy, one of the most important industry is the construction, one, and the people that build the houses.

-Samantha: Yes.

-As to... -And all the towers.

I mean, this was a medieval... Ester: They stay outside during the day, -and the work is very heavy.

-Paolo: They energy.

-And they -- they need a lot of energy.

And so here in Bologna and all around, they used to have breakfast with mortadella.

-And that makes so much sense in terms of making mortadella -because it's quick.

-Paolo: Yeah.

You don't have to wait 36 months for the Parmesan.

-Paolo: Another good point is also the cost of mortadella.

Is a product for all people because it's not so expensive like ham or cheese.

-Like the Parmesan.

-It's a popular product.

And in the times it became a symbol of the city.

We eat the mortadella when we go to the stadium, when we go out with the friends, it's a symbol of Bologna.

Ester: Yeah.

♪ It is a wonderful shop, very, very famous here in Bologna and very, very old... [ Greets in Italian ] -On the door it says you've been open since 1783.

-Correct.

-And are you from the same family?

-The same family.

Six generations.

-What was the business in the very beginning?

Because now you have a lot of modern items -- -Sharpen, to sharpen knife, to produce knife or instrument to sharp -- to cut -- knife.

-Swords.

-Swords?

Swords?

-Yeah.

-You sharpen swords?

-Yeah.

Napoleon.

-Napoleon passed through this place in Bologna.

-Napoleon?

-Yes.

-Napoleon came into your family's shop to sharpen his sword?

-Yes.

-You're like of course.

Why wouldn't he choose the shop, Ester?

You're like, of course he's here.

What is your part in the family business?

-To protect the old instrument for pasta, to cut pasta.

-Okay.

-Yeah.

For me, it's important because all, [speaks Italian], our place in Italy has a different kitchen.

-Different?

-Exactly.

-And all this kind of tools, they are used for fresh pasta and to make different size of pasta.

It is for tortellini because the measure is very important.

Samantha: All right.

-They have to be two centimeters for two centimeters.

-That's it.

Okay.

So you're going to go down and cut once and then cut twice.

-So you have to cut like this and cut like this.

This one -- this is the coltello to cut the pasta for the tagliatelle.

And this is perfect for tagliatelle.

-Okay.

-And you have to have this one for tagliatelle.

You cannot use a normal knife.

No.

Samantha: Because you're doing one cut.

Ester: Now today I will show you because, uh, we will use this one to cut tagliatelle.

Samantha: This is so much fun.

I never knew this is how you make each -singular strand of tagliatelle.

-Yes.

Samantha: We're now in Ester's kitchen in the middle of Bologna with views of rooftops.

I'm getting an experience no restaurant can recreate.

-So you use the coltello .

Okay?

You have to go under the pasta.

Okay?

Okay?

Okay?

Samantha: And that's the sharp part.

And then I lift.

-Yes.

And then... -Ah.

Ooh.

-Wow.

Wonderful.

-[ Laughs ] -That is so cool.

-Look.

-This is tagliatelle.

Oh, my gosh.

Samantha: That is beautiful.

I love that.

-Just take your time and it's perfect.

Samantha: Okay.

You didn't think I was gonna buy homemade pasta when I could learn how to make it?

Ester takes me through the steps, which may be second nature to her, but for me, first began with a swimming lesson.

-So the technique is to move like swim or like a frog.

[ Laughs ] -I can't wait to see this, Ester.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Okay.

So Ester keeps applying her swimming motion over the rolling pin, and she knows she's done when the dough is thin enough to see her hands.

-Your hands.

And here we are going to do tortelloni.

-Okay.

-Okay.

-So this is the shape for tortelloni.

-This is six centimeters.

-Okay.

Ester: So now you are going to cut it.

Samantha: Let me get that out a little.

Ester: Ooh, la, la.

And then on the other side.

-Oh, that's right.

-It's going to be a fast hand, isn't it?

-Ester: [ Laughs ] -Samantha: Keeping that line.

-And they have different fillings though?

-Tortellini and tortelloni?

-Tortelloni and tortellini, they have different.

In tortelloni, ricotta, Parmesan and, uh, spinach.

Samantha: Okay.

So would you ever put meat in a tortelloni?

-No meat.

-No meat?

-No.

-Okay.

They're always vegetarian.

Ester: Tortellini with meat.

So, now the shape.

You just make it triangle.

-Samantha: Okay.

-Ester: And just you press, you press, you press, okay?

It must be closed.

Then just you... -Samantha: Pinch.

-Ester: Pinch.

And then... Samantha: And meet in the middle.

Oh, my gosh, it's perfect.

Ester: Tortelloni.

We have done it.

And now we eat.

Samantha: Ester is actually preparing three pasta dishes for us to enjoy.

The tagliatelle, which is served with a traditional Bolognese ragu sauce, a savory broth containing tortellini, which are filled with pork sausage, and the tortelloni, using the sauce that features the sage we bought at the market.

Now, how do I eat this?

-Okay, you can use the fork, and then if you want, -you can eat all like that.

-okay.

-But if you want to also, you can cut it.

-I can cut it?

-Ester: If you want.

-Tell me the truth, Ester.

-[ Laughs ] -Tell me the truth.

-We do not cut it.

[ Laughter ] Samantha: Tortelloni pasta is typically made with flour and eggs, but here in Bologna, you can find some made of...leather.

These keychains are especially popular items by a fashion brand called Double Trouble Bologna, and their shop is just steps away from the central market.

What are you making?

-Uh, I'm making a bag.

-Okay.

Margherita: And I was thinking about this bag last weekend, I started doing that.

But I'm not happy about the results, so I'm gonna try again.

-Back to the drawing board, as they say.

-Yeah, I want to make it smaller.

And also the leather wasn't thick enough.

So I'm gonna try to use this one that I think it's better.

-And how old is your business?

Margherita: 10 years.

I mean, more than.

Because I started doing that after my Erasmus placement in Istanbul.

-As an Italian, you went to Istanbul to learn leather typing?

-Yes, yes.

Because they are -- -That's crazy.

-Ah, it's crazy.

Because isn't Italy known for leather?

-Yes, we are famous for that.

But it's really difficult to find a good school that is not too expensive to learn how to cut and to use the sewing machine.

Samantha: Your whole mission is about sustainable fashion.

So what different items do you have?

You're making a bag here, but what's also in your collection?

Margherita: We work with fabric.

This is from Africa.

Actually, from Senegal or Ivory Coast from Gabon, because my father is from Gabon.

We work with leftover piece of fabric, so we try to put in production what we have -- what we already have.

-Are all your fabrics from the leather to, say, the African prints, is that all based on remnants of materials?

-Yes.

-So when you are making this bag and you -- and you've got it down.

Margherita's like, "This is the bag.

it's perfect," how many of those will you make?

Will there be 10, 20?

-It depends how many pieces of leather we have.

-Oh, okay.

-Because you see, we got one, two, three, four, then it's finished.

I mean, it's impossible to go in the same shop and buy it because this is from stock.

-Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

So this is -- this is what's left over.

-It's done.

Yeah, it's over.

-So that's incredible.

So you, as a designer, not only have an idea of the product that you want to make, but you have to absolutely change what you do depending on what you have.

Margherita: You have to change it.

And all the small piece of leather, you can make something else.

-Can you make this pasta yourself as well?

When you go home, you're like, I know how to make a tortellini.

-My grandma used to do the tortellini.

-You just do it with leather.

And you use a similar tool to the one that you actually use in the pasta shop.

Margherita: It's not sharp, of course, but you can say that it's similar.

Samantha: And if you're wondering about the name, it's because Margherita's co-founder of Double Trouble is her twin sister, Katerina.

Margherita: We work in different fields.

She's more about, uh, the social media and website, and I'm more about the production.

So we don't talk the same language, but she knows what she's doing, and I know what I'm doing here.

-So what is it about this city that makes it a really good place to have a sustainable fashion business?

-Because you don't have a lot of competitors, to be honest.

So if you want to do something about fashion, there is enough place to do that.

[ Laughing ] I don't know how.

We don't have the fashion week.

Okay?

[ Laughter ] ♪ Catia: I love Bologna because it's a city which is vibrant.

When you walk into the street and under the porticos, you feel all the energy, especially of the students that are here since the medieval time.

And so it's something that you can still feel today.

♪ -[ Speaks Italian ] -I love Bologna, I really love Bologna because Bologna is a very small town compared to Milano and Roma and Florence.

But at the same time, you can find everything in Bologna.

I mean, when you are here, you feel to be in your town.

♪ -I first came to Bologna 20 years ago, and just instantly fell in love with this city And it was then that I realized that I actually started to prefer Europe's smaller cities, and I started referring to them as the B sides.

Right?

So like records?

So you have the A side, which is Rome and Venice and Florence, but then the B side is Bologna.

And being back in this city after two decades away was a firm reminder of how boundless Bologna is, where history hasn't stood still but hums, a city that wears its intellect highly, its artistry openly, its appetite proudly.

This is why I have a love of travel and why Bologna, Italy, is a Place To Love.

Samantha: For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Major funding of "Places to Love" provided by Oceania Cruises.

Narrator: A journey aboard Oceania Cruises is designed to cultivate curiosity.

Evenings offer craft spirits, international wines and dishes prepared by our master chefs.

That's the Oceania Cruises small ship experience.

Narrator: Ever wonder where your sense of wonder went?

Maybe it's winding its way along the banks of the Colorado River, or waiting in the shadows of giant canyons.

Or maybe it's revealed in all the moments in between.

Introducing Canyon Spirit, a rail experience between Denver, Moab and Salt Lake City.

Canyon Spirit, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

Narrator: Railbookers helps you discover the world by train.

From bucket list dreams to iconic scenic journeys, our Railbookers itinerary includes trains, hotels, sightseeing, transfers and more.

Railbookers offers guests a seamless way to explore the globe on vacation.

Narrator: Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

From exploring our national parks to learning about art and culture in Italy, we've introduced adults to places, ideas and friends.

We are Rhodes Scholar.

We make the world our classroom.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪