Not many places have a portico named after a silk market, but Bologna is not many places. The Pavaglione is the long, wide arcade that runs along the side of the Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, near the great Piazza Maggiore, and its name comes from the pavilion, a tent or covered market where silk cocoons were once traded. Bologna was a major centre of silk production in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and the water-powered mills of the city, fed by canals from the Reno, supplied thread to much of Europe. A stroll under the arches today, among the shops and cafés, is a stroll through that history.
The Archiginnasio itself was the main seat of the University of Bologna from the sixteenth century, built to bring the various schools together in a single building. Its walls and corridors are covered in thousands of coats of arms painted by students and professors over the centuries, a dense, colourful archive of academic life. Inside, the Anatomical Theatre, a small wooden chamber with a carved ceiling and statues of famous physicians, was used for public dissections, and is among the most unusual rooms in Italy. Visits are possible, but opening hours vary, so it pays to check.
Practicalities are simple. This is the very heart of the city, with traffic restrictions in force, so leave the bike outside the centre and walk in. With the old stones underfoot and the sound of bicycle bells, it is a pleasant walk, and the arcades give shelter if the weather turns.
Bologna has everything a traveller needs, from fuel stations on the outskirts to supermarkets and restaurants in every district, and the neighbouring place of Ponticella has some small shops. A good spot for lunch is any of the small trattorias in the lanes near the market, where the menu changes daily and the pasta is made by hand.
The real treat at the Pavaglione is the people-watching. Students, shoppers and pensioners drift past in the afternoon, and on warm evenings the area comes alive, with buskers, couples and groups of friends. If you are a coffee drinker, try a caffè in one of the old-fashioned bars, standing at the zinc counter among the regulars.