Symphony 12 is many things - all of them good! First of all it is a comfortable two bedroom apartment, very centrally located in Bologna’s historic University district. As such it is ideally suited for wandering the city on foot, enjoying the artistry and protection of the nearly 40 miles of porticoes in the old city. Secondly, it is a decade-spanning time capsule in terms of decor, objet d’arts, family artifacts, architecture, and even some of the kitchen appliances. Finally, it is located on one of the most unique and lively piazzas in Bologna.
We began and ended each day at the very welcoming Sartoria; which is a café/bakery by day and a bar/trattoria by night. Also on the square are numerous stalls and cozy restaurants with open air seating and a wide selection of affordable food and drinks. The neighbourhood is full of University students and during our stay the traditional graduation processions, pranks, and street parties were in full swing. This would not be everybody’s cup of tea, but the main bedroom at Symphony 12 is away from the street and we only heard the noise at night as we were closing the front shutters. Another advantage of Bologna’s “foody” scene combined with our location, is that we could choose high or low in terms of spending on meals, but it was all delicious.
In summary, Symphony 12 was a great experience in terms of general comfort, cleanliness, location, and opportunities to access local culture.