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I decided to live in Bologna during a summer while I was in college. My friends, who were either interning in Manhattan, visiting London, or the like, felt that my summer plans were random. Perhaps overshadowed by Italy’s other popular and culturally renowned cities, Bologna might at first not seem like the obvious European destination. However, what I did not expect to find was that, in being random, or rather in being a thriving city of delightful contradictions, is what makes Bologna an exceptional place to travel. There is a feeling of serenity throughout Bologna, which you can quickly assimilate if you let yourself. Time floats away while people watching from the steps of the Basicila di San Petronio, or as a lunch of tuna and cherry tomatoes from Il Cameo easily turns into an entire afternoon of reading underneath the warm, yellow Bolognese sun. Certain stores close midday for no apparent reason, and yet, as you continue to embrace the city’s ease, you realize that no reason is needed at all. A turn down an indiscriminate street like Via Pescherie Vecchie during a casual wander, however, will leave you within a bustling marketplace. Cured hams dangle from the ceilings of butcher shops, street vendors display trays of vibrant fruit, and couples sit outside cafes with their aperitivo. It felt like this tight row of busy storefronts embodied an excitement found only in those who genuinely appreciate food. A pastaio will sell you a pound of the day’s supply of hand-folded tortellini for just a handful of coins, but not before explaining how the availability of pork and hard cheeses around Bologna inspired the creation of the stuffed pasta centuries ago. I lived in an apartment with two university students who were using their summer to study. The oldest university in the world, The University of Bologna was established in 1088 as a commune and academic space for foreigners seeking protection from the laws that enforced collective punishment upon individuals for any crimes committed by their countrymen. Recognized today as the most prestigious university in Italy, the University has become a meeting place for bright youth who carry forward the University’s socially conscious founding values. My roommates and I would fill our kitchen with smoke from our hand rolled cigarettes as we spent our nights debating the possibility of an Italian succession from the EU or discussing the tokenization of women artists. We would go join the other students who had gathered in Piazza Santo Stefano, pass around bottles of wine, and continue to contemplate our world. All the while young and, maybe, crude, Bologna is also known for its elegance. The city streets are lined with porticos that are decorated with detailed stonework and elaborate ceiling frescos. During a morning stroll underneath these red stone walkways, you will pass plenty of boutiques courting Gucci and Prada. The city’s Museo d’Arte Morderna has acquired a distinguished inventory of pieces from Italy’s own Arte Povera movement. A short trip just beyond the city can place you in front of the MAMbo’s collection of Giorgio Morandi and Christian Boltanski. Perhaps the most remarkable part of a Bolognese summer, though, is when the entire city turns into the international film festival, Il Cinema Ritrovato. Participants traverse the city’s theaters to enjoy a repertoire of curated cinematic classics. You can begin the day with Federico Fellini’s Amarcord, grab an espresso before settling in for the extended cut of Apocalypse Now, and end the night in the city center’s Piazza Maggiore with an outdoor screening of Charlie Chaplin. Bologna is a city that is at once both lazy and excitable. It is energized with the ideas of their passionate youth, but also is sophisticated and cool. Bologna is random, and yet becomes the premier destination every summer for cinephiles around the world. I found that Bologna was an exceptional place to travel because one visit was nearly not enough to know such an elaborate and involved city.