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La Dotta, meaning “the learned one,” refers to the University of Bologna. Its founding is traditionally dated to 1088, and it is considered the oldest university in the Western world. Unlike many modern universities, it was not originally created by a ruler or religious institution. It developed through groups of students who organized their own studies and hired teachers.
La Rossa, meaning “the red one,” refers to the terracotta rooftops and red-brick buildings found throughout the historic center.
La Grassa, meaning “the richly fed one,” recognizes Bologna’s reputation for handmade pasta, cured meats, rich sauces, and traditional dishes.
Bologna is also known for its porticoes, which extend for approximately 62 kilometers across the city. Although many belong to privately owned buildings, they function as public walkways where people can shop, meet, and move through the city while protected from rain and strong sunlight. Twelve representative sections were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.
Another fact many visitors do not know is that Bologna was once a city of canals.
During the Middle Ages, its waterways powered mills and supported one of Italy’s most important silk industries. Most of the canals were eventually covered, but some still flow beneath the city. One can still be seen through the small window on Via Piella, an area often called Bologna’s “Little Venice.”
These layers of history make Bologna a fitting destination for DaTerra Cucina’s Once Upon Italy series.
DaTerra Cucina began with a family’s interest in international food and travel. During a trip to Italy, the founders discovered Italian ceramic nonstick cookware that later inspired them to develop cookware for everyday home kitchens. Bologna reflects that same connection between Italian craftsmanship, practical design, and food prepared for family and friends.
From September 18 to 20, 2026, Piazza Maggiore will host La Piazza si Riaccende, a public event presented as part of Bologna Festival.
The event will use video mapping to project architectural designs onto the unfinished façade of the Basilica of San Petronio. These projections will show different plans proposed for the basilica over the centuries but never completed.
The designs include ideas connected to architects such as Andrea Palladio and Antonio Morandi, also known as Terribilia. The presentation will continue through twentieth-century concepts and conclude with a contemporary “green” interpretation by architect Mario Cucinella.
The opening event will take place at 9:00 p.m. on September 18 and will include a historical introduction and live music. On September 19 and 20, the video mapping will be presented at 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00 p.m., accompanied by music from Rossini’s William Tell Overture. The public presentations are free to attend.
La Piazza si Riaccende gives visitors an opportunity to see how Bologna combines its history with modern creativity. Rather than changing the basilica permanently, the event uses light and technology to show what earlier architects once imagined for it.
This balance between tradition and innovation also relates to DaTerra Cucina.
The brand’s cookware is inspired by traditional Italian ceramic cookware but designed for the way families cook today. It preserves the Italian influence while incorporating modern features such as PFAS-free ceramic nonstick surfaces and induction-compatible construction.
The Basilica of San Petronio is one of Bologna’s most recognizable historical landmarks. It faces Piazza Maggiore and is dedicated to Saint Petronius, the city’s patron saint.
Construction was ordered by Bologna’s city council in 1388. San Petronio was not originally intended to serve as Bologna’s cathedral. It was planned as a civic, state, and municipal church and was funded with public money.
The original design was extremely ambitious. Plans included a large Latin-cross layout, a dome, and four bell towers. Had it been completed according to these proposals, it would have been larger than St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Technical problems, financial limitations, and changing political and religious circumstances prevented the project from being completed. This is why the lower portion of the façade is covered in marble while the upper section remains exposed brick.
One of the basilica’s most interesting features is located inside rather than on its famous façade.
A brass meridian line runs approximately 67 meters across the floor of the left aisle. It was created in 1655 by astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini to observe the movement of the sun and identify local solar noon accurately.
The system works like a large camera obscura. Sunlight enters through a small opening high in the basilica and projects an image onto the floor. As the sun’s position changes throughout the year, the projected image moves along the meridian line.
This allowed Cassini to make astronomical observations using the church building itself as a scientific instrument.
The Cassini Meridian is an excellent example of Bologna’s connection to both learning and practical design. A place built for civic and religious purposes also became a tool for scientific research.
DaTerra Cucina follows a similar principle on a smaller scale. Cookware may be visually inspired by Italian design, but it must also serve a practical purpose. A well-made pan should perform consistently, support the cooking process, and remain useful through everyday family meals.
Bologna is internationally associated with “spaghetti Bolognese,” but traditional Bolognese ragù is not normally served with spaghetti.
In Bologna, the classic pairing is tagliatelle al ragù.
Tagliatelle is a fresh egg pasta made with flour and eggs. The dough is kneaded, rested, rolled into a thin sheet, and cut into ribbons approximately eight millimeters wide.
The wider, slightly porous pasta gives the ragù more surface to hold onto. This allows the pasta and sauce to combine more evenly than they would with thin, smooth spaghetti.
Traditional Bolognese ragù is not simply a tomato sauce with ground meat. It begins with finely chopped vegetables and meat that are cooked carefully to build flavor. Wine, tomato, and stock are then added, and the sauce is allowed to simmer slowly.
The cooking process requires patience. The vegetables must soften without burning, the meat must brown rather than steam, and the sauce needs enough time for the flavors to develop.
This is where dependable cookware becomes important.
A wide cooking surface helps ingredients brown properly, while steady heat supports a long, gentle simmer. DaTerra Cucina’s Italian-made ceramic cookware is designed for this type of everyday cooking, combining modern performance with the Italian craftsmanship that originally inspired the brand.
Preparing tagliatelle al ragù also represents what Bologna and DaTerra Cucina have in common.
Both value good ingredients, practical tools, and cooking methods that are passed from one generation to the next. The finished meal is important, but so is the process of preparing it and sharing it with others.
Bologna offers more than famous food.
It is a city with an ancient university, hidden canals, public porticoes, unfinished architecture, and a basilica that also functions as an astronomical instrument. Its September festival brings these stories together by using modern technology to present historical ideas in a public space.
Its food follows the same balance between tradition and usefulness.
Fresh pasta begins with flour and eggs. Ragù begins with simple ingredients cooked carefully over time. The tools used to prepare them should support the cook without making the process unnecessarily complicated.
That idea is central to DaTerra Cucina.
Inspired by a family journey through Italy, DaTerra Cucina creates Italian-made cookware for the meals prepared in real home kitchens. Bologna reminds us that Italian cooking is not only about following a recipe. It is also about understanding the history behind the dish, choosing dependable tools, and making time to share the finished meal.