Torch Tour Town: Bologna

I’m a
day early but better than forgetting again to check in with the Olympic Flame as it tours Italy enroute to Torino.
Tomorrow the torch will arrive in Bologna, an academic city known as
"la dotta" (the learned one) for its ancient university, which was founded in 1088. Bologna is the capital of
Emilia-Romagna, and is home to great medieval
buildings and the gothic Duomo of San Petronio. The Feast of this Patron Saint of Bologna is held every year on October
4. Another big event is the annual Fiaccolata di San Luca, a non-competitive foot relay held December 8 that honors the
Madonna of San Luca with a Mass celebrated at the end of the walk. Olympic officials are hoping for big crowds tomorrow
as the torch passes through town. There are reports that Italian market domestic ticket sales are lower than expected,
but last week’s World Cup racing win by Italian slalom sensation Giorgio Rocca is helping to inspire more Italians to
buy tickets. To help boost sales, fans will be able to buy tickets along the stops of the torch relay route as it makes
its way north. Sales in Bologna and Venice are particularly important, as fans in those areas would be able to come to
events on one-day outings.