Add a review about the Church of the Madonna of San Luca

The Church of San Luca is not only a recognizable landmark of the surrounding landscape of Bologna, but also a place of worship for many believers. Here is the image of Our Lady of San Luca, and leads to a pilgrimage up the hillside.

The shrine stands on the top of the wooded hill of Guardia, south-west of the center of Bologna. The arcade with more than six hundred arches is a unique feature of the temple; more precisely the way to it. Its total length is almost 3, 8 km. The arcade connects the church with the city and serves as a shelter for the solemn procession that annually on Ascension, from 1433, bears the icon of the Byzantine Madonna and the baby to the Cathedral of San Pietro in the city center.

The construction of the giant gallery began in 1674 with the creation of an arcade Bonakkorsi over the gates of Zaragossa. The arcade at the foot of the hill, very simple and restrained, began to be built in the second decade of the 18th century. And the final part of the arcade on the top of the hill, on the contrary, offers dynamic changes of viewing angles and prospects until the very last moment when the temple itself appears before the eyes of the traveler.

The arcade with more than six hundred arches is a unique feature of the temple; more precisely the way to it. Its total length is almost 3, 8 km

The sanctuary on the site of the present church of San Luke stood for more than 1000 years. In the 12th century, a pilgrim from the Byzantine Empire brought the icon of the Mother of God to Bologna from the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople. In 1160 the icon was placed in a small chapel on top of a hill, behind which two holy women took care. But already in 1193 a full-fledged church was built here at this place

The current church was built by Dotty between 1723 and 1757 . and replaced the earlier building of the 15th century . Two grandstands outside were completed according to the designs of the father the son of Dotti, Giovanni Giakomo, in 1774 g . Inside the temple is an ellipse in the plan that opens into a room in the form of a Greek cross, ending with the main altar in front of the chapel of Our Lady . In the interior you can see the frescoes of Vittorio Bigari, paintings by Domenico Pestrini and statues of Angelo Pio, but the best The altars (in particular, the third right from the work of Guido Reni) and the chapel (especially the second from the right of the work D . Crete and the chapel of St. Anthony of Padua work G . Mazzi) are attracting attention .

The open space in front of the basilica is the only one an example of baroque architecture in the open air in the city.

In 1930 a funicular was built with a single pylon, which helped to overcome the distance of 1328 m with a height difference of 220 m between the street. Zaragossa and the temple in 7 minutes. The funicular caused a lot of discontent among the faithful believers who were convinced that it was only necessary to walk on a pilgrimage to the shrine. Eventually, the lift was closed in 1976 due to the increased traffic of motor vehicles

Practical information

Address: Via di San Luca, 36.

You can go up to the basilica on foot, through the arcade, as pilgrims do; or you can just drive up the hill by car.