Urban agriculture and city development in Bologna (Italy): notes in historical perspective

Abstract

In the history of green spaces, in reference to horticulture and to other types of urban green, lives a constant relationship with the general history of urban development. Bologna (Italy) is an important case study: in this town, urban gardens and other green spaces have characterized large areas of the historic city from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and onwards. Urban gardens are related (at least in a first historical phase) to subsistence agriculture; at the same time, the role of private gardens in several residential areas of the city should not be forgotten. The presence of large green areas - inside the city centre - remains considerable until the early 20th century, as shown also in many pictures and maps, some of which are currently available also on the internet. The history of the city's green crosses a more complex phase with the urban dynamics after the Italian Risorgimento.