This night, ripe with a full moon, was one of those special nights that mark the start of summer. Weather here lately has been hot and humid, with thunderstorms rumbling through often. But today was one of those summer days that beckoned you to come outdoors and romp in the dry air, lightly kissed with a breeze.

And so I did, even though I have lots to do as I get ready to leave here on Friday- where did these 3 months go? After a light dinner out I strolled through the streets of Bologna. For a Monday night there was quite a bustle in the outdoor cafes, not only because of the weather but also because the Euro championships are in full swing. The local cafes and bars bring their TV screens outside so people can watch the action. I always said that Europeans live outdoors and thus the streets have morphed into one large continuous living room as you walk from cafe to bar.

Euro Championships

As I continued my stroll I noticed a large group of people climbing into the rickety construction elevator outside the basilica that does double duty carrying people to the terrace of the basilica for spectacular views. Ah, I said, a sunset view of Bologna with a big juicy full moon to guide the way. If I had known, I would have joined that group to see Bologna against the backdrop of the moon.

From the Basilica terrace

I then meandered around to the front of the basilica to find it packed with people for “Cinema under the Stars”. Starting this week movies are shown in the evening on an immense screen in Pizza Maggiore, the main plaza. All the seats had been filled and people sat on the church steps, on bikes, on portable chairs or just stood, as I did.

Tonight was the showing of a documentary to commemorate Bologna’s existence as a commune for 900 years. It has been in existence for much longer but this was an official designation.

Prior to the movie there was an animated video about helping refugees from Africa adjust to life here sponsored by an organization named Bologna Cares. There were even some people who applauded this and the work they do. As there has been some tension lately it was refreshing to see this outreach.

Bologna Cares

The documentary opened with great filming of the many medieval buildings still standing here in Bologna. I recognized most of them through my explorations of my adopted home. In a Ken Burns style, there were images and paintings from the past along with some narration and music and this continued to tell the story through today. One of the early highlights was the freeing of all slaves in 1256, Bologna the first to do so.  You could sense the tension when the Fascist rallies that were held here were shown and there was complete silence both on and off-screen as they showed the devastation to the city from the bombing of World War II. This silence was repeated when scenes of the Bologna massacre were shown. This occurred in 1980 when the train station was bombed and 80 people murdered and 200 injured. This was in the era of the Red Brigade and a neo-fascist group, the NAR, was blamed for the bombing. But the film showed the resilience of the Bolognese to rebuild after the war and celebrate its accomplishments of 900 years.

As the movie ended, I made my way back to the apartment looking for the moon and reflecting on how moved I was by watching the documentary and how I feel just a little part of this historic city. It has captivated me, first its people and then its history and it continuous vibrancy. Its strong pulse is kept pumping by the youth of the University of Bologna. For an old medieval city it is very alive with art, music and great food. But most of all it is the warmth of the people here that envelops me and calls me back to return here in three months.

Medieval city- Bologna