Bologna la grassa, la dotta, la rossa. The fat, the learned, and the red—the city sounds like an obese Commie professor. This proud local refrain, however, summarizes what makes Bologna a great place. First, la grassa. Bologna is famous for its food, and rightfully so—a single meal here could make a trip worthwhile. Stuffed pastas like tortellini are local specialties, and lasagna alla bolognese has become a household name far from Emilia-Romagna’s dark, fertile soil. The town’s other primary exports are caps and gowns—la dotta. Bologna is home to the Western Hemisphere’s oldest university, whose 100,000 students swamp the city while classes are in session and leave it empty come summertime. With youthful exuberance (and livers), these students bring hopping nightlife and plenty of inexpensive booze. The university is also responsible for scores of free museums and sights that lack the tourist hordes of other Italian cities. What Bologna hasn’t been so successful at is spreading the works of the national Communist Party, la rossa, which is headquartered in the city and has the sympathies of a number of its citizens.