Hotels near Portico di San Luca

The Portico di San Luca (Portico of San Luca) is the longest portico in the world - 3.796 km of continuous covered arcade, 666 arches, climbing from the Arco del Meloncello gate on Via Saragozza to the Santuario della Madonna di San Luca on the crest of the Colle della Guardia (289 m above sea level). It was built between 1674 and 1739 to shelter a procession route and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Bologna Porticoes designation. The walk up takes about 45-60 minutes and is genuinely beautiful - particularly the upper sections where the arches curve steeply up the hillside.

The basilica at the top is free to enter and holds a Byzantine icon of the Madonna that is processed down the hill to Bologna Cathedral every year on Ascension Thursday. The views from the terrace below the basilica over the entire Bologna plain and the Apennines behind are outstanding.

Pro Tip: Take the Portico di San Luca Express (a small tourism shuttle bus, Via Portico di San Luca, from about 5 EUR) up to the basilica and walk down - the descent is far easier on the legs and you have the view downhill through the arches the whole way. The walk down takes about 30-35 minutes and the arched perspective looking down the hill is the better photographic direction.