City Stories Index · Italy · 2026 edition
Bologna vs Rome
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 2–2 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Bologna is the red city of tall tales; Rome is the city of popes and squares.
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| What we measure | Bologna | Rome | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 47 | 150 | Rome |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 285 | 287 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 41 | Rome |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 44 | 23 | Bologna |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 17 | 12 | Bologna |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 92 | 92 | tie |
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, Rome in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
BolognaRome
7 places
royalty & nobility48 places
13 places
faith & churches40 places
4 places
arts & culture38 places
10 places
crime & dark history27 places
13 places
legends & myths21 places
10 places
guilds & trade7 places
7 places
fortification & siege6 places
6 places
industry & modern era5 places
Bologna scorecard →
The red city of tall tales
Rome scorecard →
The city of popes and squares