Bologna

Bologna needs 2 days: the Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica of San Petronio -one of the world's largest churches, never finished- on one, the Two Towers next to the university quarter on the other. April-June and September-October are the mildest months. It's cheaper than Florence or Venice. It's the birthplace of the oldest university in the Western world (founded in 1088) and of iconic Italian dishes like Bolognese, mortadella and Parmesan, earning it the nickname «the Fat» alongside «the Red» (for its architecture) and «the Learned» (for its university).