This edition, just like the previous two, is intended to be a comprehensive guide for any woman of any age, background, and walk of life, who has chosen to live in this city we all call home – Bologna. It is a guide FOR international women, and BY international women, whether they were born outside or inside Italy and Europe and whether or not they are native English speakers.

This book, albeit not physical, is the result of many hours of hard work (and fun too!) by different generations of IWF women. It was first conceived at the dawn of the new millennium when Bologna was chosen to be the European City of Culture. The 2001 edition was followed five years later by the Second edition – both these books have been a treasured source of information for many women in Bologna, and they helped start many lasting friendships among IWF members.

This Guide, however, has been long overdue for an update. And here we are – an online tool which can be more easily revised, expanded and improved. This also means that it will be more interactive (Comments & Suggestions are welcome), ensuring greater informational accuracy in this ever-changing world. What’s more, we already have some exciting chapters in the works (Coming Soon – Work, Family, Long Term!) which we plan to upload in the coming months.

We hope that you will like this online edition and we hope that you will join our community of international women in Bologna
– the International Women’s Forum!