Situated between the Po Plain and the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, the city of Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy, it is the seventh most populous city in Italy, at the heart of a metropolitan area of about one million people. Bologna is an important agricultural, industrial, financial and transport hub, where many large mechanical, electronic, and food companies have their headquarters as well as one of the largest permanent trade fairs in Europe. According to the most recent data gathered by the European Regional Economic Growth Index (E-REGI) of 2016, Bologna is the fourth Italian city and the 53rd European city in terms of its economic growth rate. As a consequence, Bologna is also one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, often ranking as one of the top cities in terms of quality of life in the country: in 2011 it ranked 1st out of 107 Italian cities.

Of Etruscan origin, the city has been a major urban centre for centuries, first under the Etruscans, then under the Romans (Bononia), then again in the Middle Ages, as a free municipality and signoria, when it was among the largest European cities by population. Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre, thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy that began at the end of the 1970s.