I continue up to the next floor, and enter the Sala Farnese . Next to Rome, Bologna was the most important Papal State, and the chapel and apartments remember that aspect of her history. My main interest though is the view from the balcony at the end of the room. From that vantage point one can see Piazza Maggiore from above and the rough, zig-zaggy red roofs of Bologna. Hanging out' sometimes means just sitting and soaking in the life that pulses there.
Late afternoon is best, as the sun is setting.
Unlike the early morning hours, the late afternoon will usually show Piazza Maggiore full of people, many of whom will be Bolognesi, not just tourists. The rays of the setting sun reflect off the rosy earth-tones of the buildings, from back up behind San Petronio and the piazza glows. The air itself shimmers. I will watch the glorious magic the sun makes as it toys with the shapes and colors of the basilica and palazzi that border it and decorates the moving sky with shafts of light piercing voluminous cloud mountains. I will hear the animated discussions of the clumps of men, usually senior citizens, who meet and discuss the world every afternoon, rain or shine, and the insistent dong of the clock tower marking the hour.