City Stories Index · Italy · 2026 edition
Bologna vs Pisa
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 2–2 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Bologna is the red city of tall tales; Pisa is the leaning republic.
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| What we measure | Bologna | Pisa | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 47 | 36 | Bologna |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 285 | 260 | Pisa |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 44 | 51 | Pisa |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 17 | — | Bologna |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 92 | 82 | Bologna |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Bologna in orange, Pisa in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
BolognaPisa
13 places
faith & churches15 places
13 places
legends & myths2 places
10 places
crime & dark history1 place
10 places
guilds & trade3 places
7 places
fortification & siege1 place
7 places
royalty & nobility5 places
6 places
industry & modern era0 places
4 places
arts & culture4 places
Bologna scorecard →
The red city of tall tales
Pisa scorecard →
The leaning republic