Today we were going to check off one of the larger items on our To-Do List. We were going to go to The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca. This church is located in the hills outside of the city and is home to a painting of the Virgin and Child.
The story goes that in 1433, after three months of incessant rain in Bologna, the icon was carried down the hill from the church into town as a gesture of prayer to ask for the rain to stop. And as procession carrying the Madonna entered the gates of the city, the rain suddenly stopped. Now, every year the Madonna is carried to the Cathedral of San Pietro in the main piazza of Bologna and held there until the following Sunday, when there is a second procession to return the Madonna to her home on the hill.
A century or so later the prominent families and citizens of Bologna decided to build a portico linking the sanctuary to the city. This 3.8km portico is the longest in the world and consists of 666 porticos. This number represents the Devils and the portico takes a serpentine path down the hill from the sanctuary and to the city. Whatever the story, the long portico makes for some great photo opportunities. The painting of the Madonna is covered with a decorative gold and jewel cover with holes for their faces to peer out. Additional jewels, to include necklaces and rings, are hung from the gold cover. Lots of bling. All 666 arches are numbered and many are maintained/refurbished by groups of individuals as indicated by plaques posted under each portico.
We took a bus half way up, made our way to the top where the sanctuary is, and walked back down and back to our apartment. Once back in town we passed several fruit stands and pickup up some Pink Lady apples and a couple pears – all only €0,99/kg.
A century or so later the prominent families and citizens of Bologna decided to build a portico linking the sanctuary to the city. This 3.8km portico is the longest in the world and consists of 666 porticos. This number represents the Devils and the portico takes a serpentine path down the hill from the sanctuary and to the city. Whatever the story, the long portico makes for some great photo opportunities. The painting of the Madonna is covered with a decorative gold and jewel cover with holes for their faces to peer out. Additional jewels, to include necklaces and rings, are hung from the gold cover. Lots of bling. All 666 arches are numbered and many are maintained/refurbished by groups of individuals as indicated by plaques posted under each portico.
We took a bus half way up, made our way to the top where the sanctuary is, and walked back down and back to our apartment. Once back in town we passed several fruit stands and pickup up some Pink Lady apples and a couple pears – all only €0,99/kg.