BolognaRome
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.

Change the matchup

VS
  • Places with a story

    spots where a route tells you what happened there

    Bologna

    47

    Rome

    150

    Rome leads

  • How often you pass a story

    metres from one story to the next; fewer is better

    Bologna

    285

    Rome

    287

    Tie

  • Historical figures

    real people you meet in its stories

    Bologna

    3

    Rome

    41

    Rome leads

  • Instagrammability

    score /100, on the index’s fixed scale

    Bologna

    44

    Rome

    23

    Bologna leads

  • Group outings

    of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+

    Bologna

    17

    Rome

    12

    Bologna leads

  • International visitors

    % of player reviews written in a foreign language

    Bologna

    92

    Rome

    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 & nobility
48 places
13 places
faith & churches
40 places
4 places
arts & culture
38 places
10 places
crime & dark history
27 places
13 places
legends & myths
21 places
10 places
guilds & trade
7 places
7 places
fortification & siege
6 places
6 places
industry & modern era
5 places

Bologna scorecard →

The red city of tall tales

Rome scorecard →

The city of popes and squares