Akademik

   In the sixth century BCE, Bologna, then called Felsina, was the economic center of Etruscan society because its location along the Po River and at the foot of the Apennines allowed for commercial links with other civilizations. In 189 BCE, Felsina became part of the Roman Empire, and was renamed Bononia. The Romans built the Via Emilia, which connected the city to the network of Roman roadways, facilitating its growth. By the sixth century CE, the city had come under Byzantine rule, and in the medieval era rivaling families took over—first the Pepoli, followed by the Visconti, and Bentivoglio. In 1506, Pope Julius II took the city and annexed it to the Papal States, with papal rule lasting until the 18th century. Bologna was the first city in Europe to establish a university, which made it the intellectual center of Western culture. During the Renaissance, it was also known for its silk industry. From the point of view of artistic production, Bologna did not gain fame as a major artistic center until the end of the 16th century when the Carracci established their academy there and trained a whole generation of masters, including Domenichino, Francesco Albani, and Guido Reni.