Francesco Amura, author of The Bologneser

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Francesco Amura, authour of The Bologneser

Tell us about yourself, your business and the impact it has on the area

My name is Francesco, I am 39 years old and by trade I am a chef in my restaurant, but I have always had a great passion for graphics, design and crafts, constantly creating both digital and physical objects.
This passion is second only to the love for my city, combining the two, I started working on the project The Bologneser, inspired by similar "fictional magazines" projects such as The Milaneser, The Tokyoiter, The Parisianer and the more recent The Palermitaner and The Berghem.
I started creating covers on everything that represents Bologna: the UNESCO Porticoes, the food and wine tradition, theart and architecture, the green areas and its famous people, an inexhaustible pool from which to draw inspiration!
It's just me, Illustrator and Photoshop who produce the covers of the fictional magazine, it's a bit tough but I always try to have three or four covers ready to ensure regular editions on Wednesdays. The intent of the page is to become both a benchmark for all lovers of Bologna and a showcase of my creativity to the world.

The Bologna of tomorrow: what do you expect and what would you like to find there? 

I would like to see Bologna become increasingly sustainable and more energy-conscious. As a chef, I can only hope to see small farmers, artisans, and winemakers grow and occupy an increasingly important place in the food chain. Zero-mile products, local products, and seasonal products must be put at the centre of the ever-increasing demand of one of the most thriving sectors of Bologna's economy, the food sector. Global climate change is caused in large part by intensive livestock farming; we can no longer pretend that this problem can be ignored.

Have you got any interesting stories to tell about your business over the years?

When I discovered The Milaneser Instagram page, shamefully two years late for a graphic design enthusiast like me, I had like a flash, a sense of foreboding that if I didn't create my own The Bologneser page shortly thereafter, I would regret it once someone else did it instead of me. And within a week after designing the first cover, there was this incredible network of other people with the same passion for their city as I had. Caltanissetta, Bergamo, Brescia, Turin, Palermo, Naples, Rome, Genoa, Cagliari, Verona, Trieste, Venice, Elba Island, Cape Town, Shanghai, Madrid. We are all interconnected, we exchange views and opinions on graphics and social strategies, I really like this brotherhood between different pages, cities, countries. 

Favourite places away from the conventional tourist trail

My favourite places are mainly related to food, as you can find excellent quality pizzerias and gelaterias in Bologna. I love the Bolognina district, behind the central station, with its buildings full of street art, and a very vibrant and alive urban atmosphere that is constantly evolving. There’s my absolute favourite Japanese restaurant, Yuzuya. 

The Porto district, super central with the Galliera 49 gelateria, in my personal top 3. The Santo Stefano district, where I went to high school and where I now work in my restaurant Antica Osteria romagnola, my family's since 1979.
One place a bit off the beaten track is the Bolognese hills; walking, biking or on a moped, it’s always a great place to de-stress. 

What's your favourite Bolognese word and why?

My favourite word is "soccia": an exclamation that has lost any vulgar meaning and has become part of the common Bolognese language. It is super versatile; it can be used to express amazement, tiredness, happiness but also almost any mood. It has the Bolognese "esshe," it makes it clear right away what your hometown is, in short it is Bologna summed up in one word!

Disclosing Bologna is a Promenade column

Present-day Bologna, the result of behind-the-scenes work, commitment to social and territorial promotion, excellence, local and adopted citizens.