The Sanctuary of San Luca Bologna and its Beautiful Porticoes

Last updated: 26 June 2023

Updated April 2023. Are you planning a short break to Bologna Italy and looking for so things to do? One thing you must include on your list is the fascinating Sanctuary of San Luca Bologna with its incredible porticoes.

Bologna has so much to offer visitors, it’s a place that has so much to do that if you’re like us then you’ll find yourself booking multiple visits over time. From its incredible food scene to its long and important history, and the home of the beautifully unique UNESCO World Heritage-listed porticoes – there are 62 km of covered walkways throughout Bologna with 40 km in the city centre itself. The porticos of Bologna wind their way through the city which just makes it a breeze to explore, especially when it’s raining, and not to mention the many photo opportunities available!

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The porticoes of Bologna were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 and exploring these historic and remarkable covered shelters is a must when exploring Bologna during a short break.

During your visit to Bologna, one of the essential must-do experiences is paying a visit to one of the most well-known symbols of the city; the San Luca Monastery. Also known as Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, located at the top of the Colle della Guardia hill, it sits 300 metres above sea level, overlooking the city of Bologna.

The sanctuary is quite the sight to behold in person but it’s the Porticos of San Luca in Bologna, the longest portico arcade of its kind, which really capture the imagination of locals and visitors alike. The almost 4km of covered pathways, containing a staggering 666 arches, wind their way up the Colle della Guardia hill to the sanctuary and can be considered a photographer’s delight as they provide ample opportunity to capture the unique and awe-inspiring thoroughfare.

You may think that the number of arches – 666 – is an odd number considering the porticoes lead to a monastery but it’s by design. It’s said that the porticoes resembles a snake as it winds its way up the hill and that the overall design symbolises the Madonna victorious over the devil.

Why Visit San Luca Monastery?

Most people who visit Bologna will add a trip to the San Luca Monastery to their itinerary because it’s one of the most well-known symbols of the city.

It’s also the perfect place to experience incredible views of the Bologna countryside PLUS there’s the opportunity to admire the extraordinary interconnected porticos of San Luca which stretch over 4km from the sanctuary to the city centre. The real question which needs to be asked is; why wouldn’t you visit?

The History

Did you know that the Porticoes of San Luca were designed by Gian Giacomo Monti and constructed during the 17th and 18th century to provide protection from the elements during the annual religious procession during Ascension week where the Byzantine Madonna and Child statue is paraded from the Church of San Pietro located in Bologna city centre to the monastery. Believe it or not but this tradition has been ongoing since 1433!

Getting to San Luca Monastery

The first option is probably the most obvious choice, and definitely the most physical, is to take a walk along the 4km of footpath and enjoy the views (as well as the uphill challenge). You’d think this would be the one activity for those training for a marathon or those super-fit types but we were passed by many people of all fitness levels taking the challenge.

The other option to get to the top of the mountain is to get take the small, brightly coloured, San Luca Express tourist train which runs from the middle of the city at Piazza Maggiore and costs €12 (although there’s an option to combine the ticket with a city tour for €23) and will take you directly to the San Luca Monastery. It’s also worth noting that Bologna Welcome card holders get free entry. As much as I loved the thought of running up the side of a mountain, we opted to take the train up and then walk back down the hill.

Arriving at San Luca Monastery

Once you arrive at the San Luca Monastery, you will follow the footpath from the train stop to the main entry as the sanctuary slowly reveals itself the closer you get. It’s difficult to comprehend its scale on the ride up the hill, it’s only when you’re standing right in front of it that you realise just how large it really is.

Depending on the time of year that you visit, you will either have the opportunity to explore at your own leisure or you’ll be surrounded by plenty of fellow visitors. Personally, we tend to travel in the shoulder seasons because we love exploring a new place on our own without the constant challenge of bumping into people around every corner, which is why visiting in late November (pre-pandemic) was a good choice for us.

What to see at San Luca Monastery

We’d recommend starting your visit by exploring the garden grounds so take a seat on one of the garden benches and enjoy a quiet moment and just admire the view in front of you.

Next stop, talk a walk around the lower portion of the monastery and enjoy the quiet ambience. You’ll likely find a small altar where you can light a candle, if you wish. This area is slightly obscured from view to provide some privacy for those who wish to take a quiet solitude.

Before you take the stairs and to the upper floor in San Luca, I’d suggest checking out the view at just outside the main courtyard. This is where you can take in the far-reaching view of the distnant hills, and if you time it just right, the sun will become your best friend. Once you’ve enjoyed the surrounding countryside for a few minutes, it’s time to head to the stairs for an even more amazing vantage point.

Once you arrive on the upper floor, follow the path to the wooden entry doors leading to the San Luca Sky Experience, the highest visitable dome in Europe, where you can climb the spiral staircase to reach the viewing platform standing 42 metres high for 180 degree views across the surrounding landscape and centre of Bologna.

To gain access to the San Luca Sky Experience, you will need a Monuments Care Donor Pass which can you can purchase for €5 / €3, but Bologna Welcome cardholders are admitted free. We decided to climb the staircase for the view but keep in mind that you’ll want to carry any backpacks by hand because navigating the tight spiral staircase with over 100 steps can be a little tricky…but the view is totally worth it.

Keep in mind is that the viewing platform isn’t the biggest so you’ll probably need to share the space with other visitors. I’d recommend having your phone/camera handy so you don’t have to wrestle with your backpack in limited space. There are staff stationed at both ends of the spiral staircase to manage the flow of traffic up and down the narrow stairwell.

The Porticoes of San Luca Bologna

Once you’ve finished exploring the interior of the San Luca Monastery, then the next stop will be the world-famous Portico of San Luca, a covered thoroughfare which runs for almost 4 km from the monastery to the city centre. The construction of the porticoes began in 1674 and it’s honestly an incredible experience and we absolutely recommend taking your time to walk through them on your descent to street level.

There’s no rush when you start your descent through the porticos, it takes as long as it takes. We’ve had friends explain that it took them about an hour to make it to ground level but I’m pretty sure it took us a good 90 min however we did stop (a lot) to take photos and play with different camera effects and lighting. Sometimes a photo opportunity is just too good to pass up.

Arriving at Street Level

Once you arrive at street level you will notice that you’re not at the starting point of Piazza Maggiore where you first caught the San Luca express. In fact, you’ll be a good 40 min away from where you started. It may be worthwhile taking the local bus back to Piazza Maggiore unless you’re looking like for a good walk.

The good news is that the local bus takes cash and you can pay on board using the small red ticket machine (€1.80 for a 75 min ticket), the yellow machines are used to validate multi-trip ticket which, unless you’ve been using public transport, you probably don’t have. The machine is located at the front of the bus, near the first row of seats. If you’re travelling during standard peak hours, the buses will get full!

Final Thoughts

We absolutely love visiting Bologna and it’s probably one of our favourite destinations in Italy and I suspect that we’ll be returning again in the future. If you’re planning your very first visit then we recommend adding a visit to the San Luca Monastery because it’s the perfect place for wonderful views of Bologna, explore a beautiful and historically important building, and to experience something so culturally unique to the area – the world famous Porticos of San Luca in Bologna.

We’ve also written posts on things to do in Bologna and the delicious things you must eat in Bologna so do make sure to check those out to help build your itinerary. In the meantime, if you do have any questions or need any help with your travel plans then feel free to drop us a line.

Disclaimer: Our visit to Bologna was supported by our partnership with the Bologna Tourism Board. We did not receive any monetary compensation for this post and all thoughts and opinions expressed remain our own.

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