Near-Bologna
Ravenna by Train: Eight UNESCO Sites and the Finest Byzantine Mosaics in the World
Ravenna was the last capital of the Western Roman Empire, then the seat of Byzantine power in Italy for two centuries more. Eight monuments survive from that era - the finest collection of early Christian mosaics anywhere in the world. An hour from Bologna by direct train.
Near-Bologna
Ferrara by Train: A Renaissance City the Crowds Have Missed
Ferrara has a moated Renaissance castle in the centre of the city, nine kilometres of walls to cycle around, frescoes that rival those in Florence, and almost no tourist crowds. Thirty minutes from Bologna by train.