Erasmus in Italy: the Red City, Priced in Full

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HomeMade

Europe's oldest university offers one of Italy's richest student experiences — if you can afford the rent
Bologna is relentlessly described as the ideal Erasmus city. "Living in Bologna is a crazy experience," wrote one student on Erasmusu. "I would definitely recommend it to all students. Bologna is full of young people, cosy. Everyone feels at home." The city has heard this before. It wears the praise easily, unsurprisingly so: its medieval arcades stretch for nearly forty kilometres, its food culture is in a class of its own, and the Alma Mater Studiorum — founded in 1088 — is, by most reckonings, the oldest university in the Western world.
For an Erasmus student arriving with expectations formed by the internet, Bologna tends to confirm rather than disappoint. The harder task is affording it.
The accommodation crisis
Ask any Erasmus student in Bologna about housing and the reply is immediate. "Flats are pricey and so is food," wrote one. A shared bedroom costs around €600 per month — comparable to some northern European capitals, and markedly higher than Padova or smaller Italian cities. The university's capacity for subsidised student accommodation falls well short of demand. Bologna's population of approximately 47,000 university students competes for a city centre that has gentrified considerably over the past decade.
The practical consequences are well-documented in student forums. Many students arrive from abroad having secured accommodation remotely, often without seeing it. The risk is not trivial. Erasmus Facebook groups — notably those dedicated to each academic year — generate their own secondary economy of sublets, flat-shares, and room swaps. The University of Bologna's International Desk provides a list of certified landlords and student residences, but availability, particularly for short-term stays of four to six months, is limited.
A French student offered practical wisdom drawn from experience: "I was lucky because I found good accommodation on Subito in July to move at the end of September and I didn't get to see it before moving in. But I know a lot of people who had a really hard time finding a place because they wanted to find it once they were in Bologna and came only one or two weeks before university started." The lesson is structural: accommodation in Bologna must be treated as a project in its own right, beginning months before the academic year.
The university itself
The University of Bologna's Erasmus intake is large, and the institution's experience of international students shows. Administrative staff at the International Desk are generally considered competent and responsive by European standards — though Italian administrative standards apply throughout. Reviews of individual faculties vary considerably. Law and the humanities draw strong praise; facilities in some departments remain aged.
"There are lots of myths concerning Erasmus students, and not all of them are true," observed one incoming student. "In my case, the University of Bologna wasn't all plain-sailing, whether you are Italian or from abroad. They are uninterested." That said, the library system is strong — "the library is always open until the night" — and English-language course provision has expanded across most faculties.
The permesso di soggiorno process at Bologna has been partially streamlined for non-EU students. The University's official guidance routes applicants through the central post office in Piazza Minghetti, with a marca da bollo (duty stamp) costing €16 purchased at a tabaccheria, and a PEC (certified email) account now required for some supplementary communications with the Questura. EU students face no such obligation, but all students regardless of nationality require a codice fiscale — obtainable free of charge at the local Agenzia delle Entrate — before they can sign leases, open bank accounts, or register with the national health service.
The social fabric
Bologna's social life is its selling point, and it delivers. The city centre — particularly the area around Piazza Verdi, Via Zamboni, and the Quadrilatero — is dense with bars, aperitivo culture, and student associations. ESN Bologna, founded in 1994, is one of the oldest sections in Italy and remains highly active. As a law student from Spain put it: "I chose Bologna because I thought that it was a good academic option as well as a good location in terms of free time and parties. In addition, being in the heart of Italy, it is a good city from which to travel."
Practical survival guide

Begin housing search in April–May for a September start; target student-oriented Facebook groups (e.g., "Erasmus Bologna [year]"), Uniplaces, and HousingAnywhere
The University's accommodation guarantee is limited to a small number of residences — apply immediately upon receiving the acceptance letter
Obtain your codice fiscale before signing any contract; bring your passport and Erasmus acceptance documents to the Agenzia delle Entrate, Via Farini, Bologna
The Trenitalia Cartafreccia card and advance booking reduce intercity travel costs substantially — Bologna is ideally situated for Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome
The ESN card (around €10) provides discounts at dozens of local bars, restaurants, and travel operators