Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy, where the CTAO's headquarters is located.  

Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, it counts a variety of primacies spread among history and legend. The San Luca portico is the longest in the world, with 3,796 meters and 666 arches which lead from the city center to the San Luca sanctuary on the Bologna hills. The well-preserved city center in a continuum of art and culture from Middle age and Renaissance.

In 2000, the city was declared European capital of culture and, in 2006, it became one of UNESCO's "Cities of Music."

The University of Bologna, whose premises are spread all around the old town, is the oldest University of the western world, established in AD 1088. Dante, Petrarch, Becket, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Copernicus, Laura Bassi, Galvani and Marconi are just some of the prominent figures who attended or worked at the Bologna University in the past.

Bologna is well known for its culinary tradition. It gives the name to the famous Bolognese sauce, a meat-based pasta sauce, and the rich local cuisine is greatly based on meats and cheeses.