Starting: Piazza Maggiore
Starting from Piazza Maggiore, the heart of the city and surrounded by important buildings: the Basilica di San Petronio, and on the right side of the church, Palazzo dei Notai, Palazzo d'Accursio…and others
Bologna – San Luca soft
Trekking routes citizen, from the city center, reach the Sanctuary of San Luca, a traditional religious pilgrimage related to the devotion of the Blessed Virgin. The course offers the opportunity to know the arcades of Bologna, as a candidate with patrimonio mondiale to Unesco.
The arcade port that connects to the Porta Saragozza of Sanctuary of San Luca is the longest in the world with its 3.5 km. Consisting of 666 arches, each marked by a number: the first 306 connecting Porta Saragozza to Arco del Meloncello and the last 360 are located in the hilly tract running from the Arco del Meloncello to colle della Guardia. These are interspersed with 15 chapels illustrating the mystery of the rosary.
The itinerary starts from Piazza Maggiore, the Fontana del Nettuno continues to via Massimo d'Azeglio and via de'Carbonesi, falls on a Collegio di Spagna to get away in via Saragozza, where, after meeting with Porta Saragozza, along the long porch that leads to the Arc of Meloncello. The last 360 bows to get to the Colle della Guardia winding via San Luca and lead to the Santuario.
DATA SHEET
Departure: Piazza Maggiore
Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Distance: 5 km
Elevation: 250 m
Fontana del Nettuno
Passing from the Fontana del Nettuno. Fountain was built between 1563 and 1566 by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna.
Collegio di Spagna
The route continues in Via Massimo d'Azeglio and Via de'Carbonesi, falls on a College of Spain to arrive in via Saragozza. The complex was founded by Cardinal Egidio Albornoz in 1364 to house the Spanish students enrolled in the famous university town.
Porta Saragozza
Passing from Porta Saragozza. This Porta may also be called the “Porta Sacra” or the “Porta dei pellegrini” for its fortunes, in particular from 17th century on.
Meloncello Arch
Was completed in 1732 by the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti. From this point diverge the three main porticos of Bologna: To the north, passing alongside the stadium to the Certosa (municipal cemetery); To the east, leading to the Saragozza Gate and the center of the city; To the southwest, the Portico of San Luca, leading up to the Madonna of San Luca Sanctuary.
Arrival: San Luca
The trek ends with the arrival of the Santuario di San Luca. Traditional place of
worship for the presence of an image the Virgin of St. Luca.