Three historic cities in the Emilia-Romana region of north-eastern Italy, Bologna, Ravenna and Rimini are all worthy of a visit if you are travelling in the area. Bologna, home to the world’s oldest university, is located in the valley of the Po River, it was founded by the Etruscans in 534 BC and given the name Velzna. The Roman colony began in 189 BC and led to the building of the Via Emilia road, which still cuts through the city. There are plenty of sights to see in Bologna including numerous fine churches, parts of the old Roman ramparts, medieval defensive towers, and later 13th century ramparts. Ravenna was once a significant port, though it is now mostly silted up and only joined to the Adriatic via a canal. The original Ravenna settlement was built on small islands in a marshy lagoon, with houses constructed on piles (similar to Venice). Under the Romans, Ravenna became an important city, it even became the capital of the Western Roman Empire in 402 AD (replacing Milan). Ravenna has a huge number of historic monuments to visit, 8 of which appear on the World Heritage List. To the south of Ravenna, Rimini is a coastal city on the Adriatic Sea, and was also settled before Roman times, with Etruscan, Greek and Umbrian colonies. The Romans founded it as Ariminum, naming it after the nearby River Ariminus. A thriving fishing port for many centuries, Rimini also has plenty of historic attractions including the thirteenth century San Francesco cathedral, the 2nd century Roman Ampitheatre (one of Rome’s greatest), and the 1st century Arch of Augustus, which was restored in the 18th century. Italy Map.