Bologna is a large urban center in Northern Italy that is full of history. It offers many sightseeing opportunities and places to visit.

I recently returned to Bologna for a conference after a few years of absence. Unfortunately I didn't have time to take a tour of the historic center, but I could see many other things.

A peculiarity of Bologna is the arcades. There are often some even in the less ancient areas

My destination, however, is located in a modern area in the "fiera" district ...

... where the regional administration offices are located as Bologna is the main city of the Regione Emilia-Romagna.

Ops, Did anyone forget any rocks in the park?

No, it is an open air museum of stones describing the regional geology.

The exhibition is open air and the visit is free: no ticket. You can touch the rock, too.

This is one of my favourites: gypsum. If you look carefully, you can observe the swallowtail crystals.

These testify to the existence of an ocean (a Giurassic ocean).

The building adjacent to the museum is the headquarters of the Regional Geological Survey.

All images were  taken by me with the smartphone camera.