Portico di San Luca
Italy
On the way with the San Luca express that takes you from the center of Bologna to the Sanctuary of San Luca you can see one of the most famous arcades in the world that connects the city to the Sanctuary
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Bologna, the city of 'la dotta' (the learned), 'la grassa' (the fat), and 'la rossa' (the red). You are standing at the beginning of an architectural and spiritual marvel: the Portico di San Luca. …
Listen in the app2The Threshold of Faith — Porta Saragozza
Our journey begins at Porta Saragozza, one of the surviving entrance gates to the historic town of Bologna. This gate has traditionally been known as the 'Porta Sacra' (Sacred Gate) because it served as the point of departure for…
Listen in the app3The Meloncello Arch — A Baroque Engineering Triumph
As we reach the 300th arch, we encounter the most architecturally significant point of the lower walk: the Meloncello Arch (Arco del Meloncello). Built in 1732 from a design by the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti, this structure…
Listen in the app4The Ascent — 666 Arches and Symbolic Numbers
Now the climb begins. The portico leaves the level ground and begins to snake up the flanks of Mount Guardia. …
Listen in the app5The Sanctuary di San Luca — A Beacon on the Hill
Finally, we reach the summit and emerge into the presence of the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. This minor basilica, completed in its current form in 1723 by Carlo Francesco Dotti (the same architect of the Meloncello), is…
Listen in the app6The San Luca Experience — The Panoramic Terrace
To truly grasp the topography of Bologna, one must ascend even further. Within the sanctuary, there is a spiral staircase that leads to the 'San Luca Experience'—a 360-degree panoramic balcony circling the base of the dome at a…
Listen in the app7The Way Down — Gardens and Vineyards
As we begin our descent, we have the option to take a different path through the sanctuary grounds. Below the main basilica, a series of porticoes leads down toward beautifully landscaped gardens. …
Listen in the app8Closing
Our exploration of the Portico di San Luca has brought us to the intersection of human ambition and divine aspiration. We have walked nearly four kilometers under the shelter of a collective dream, one that began with a hermit's…
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What is Portico di San Luca?
Portico di San Luca is a place in Italy with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Italy |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 44.4844, 11.3022 |
| Last updated |
