Bologna stakes a claim to being the oldest university city in Europe, perhaps the world, and a roll call of the alumni of its 1088-founded institution throws up names such as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Thomas Becket, several popes, Copernicus and, more recently, Guglielmo Marconi. But this is no fossilised museum town; Bologna’s scholarly tradition attracts a constant influx of young people keeping this Emilia-Romagna city vibrant and challenging.

Screen idol

A 1920s abattoir has been converted into one of Italy’s most important independent cinemas. Two screens show the latest releases and arthouse favourites, all in the original language, not dubbed. The Cinema Lumière is also a major centre for film conservation and restoration. Anyone can access the library, with its huge collection of posters, memorabilia and movies on video, and watch in a screening room (free).