San Luca is a truly special place for all locals. It’s a sanctuary positioned on top of the hill - and it’s usually the first thing you spot as you approach Bologna, either by car or plane. There’s a local saying “Quando vedi San Luca, sei a casa” meaning “When you see San Luca, you’re home”. And it couldn’t be truer. The sanctuary itself deserves your attention for numerous reasons, one of them being its spectacular architecture and jaw-dropping views from the hill. Another reason is that inside the church, a special image of Madonna is conserved, said to have been painted by Apostle Luke, and brought to Bologna by a pilgrim in the 12th century. Ever since the sanctuary and the image have both become a symbol of Bologna.

But that’s not all! The most famous portico in Bologna is the one leading up there. That’s right, you can also walk up to the sanctuary (it’s totally doable even for those who are not very fit, but it may be a bit more complicated for people with injuries or disabilities, elderly people, and little kids - although it depends on your kids and their energy levels, they may actually enjoy the climb!). The portico is almost 4km long, making it the longest portico in the world. It’s made up of 498 stairs and 666 arches, allegedly symbolizing the devil being crashed at Our Lady’s feet (see the allegory of the portico, snaking its way up the hill?). The walk is absolutely breathtaking and it can easily be turned into a beautiful memory to bring back from Bologna, but in case you don’t want to climb all the way up, here’s a little cheat for you: walk down! You can get up to the sanctuary by train and then have a (very relaxing) walk down back to the city.

The feast of Madonna di San Luca is celebrated every year on the 18th of May when, for an entire week, the image is brought down to the city and is conserved in the cathedral. The tradition goes back to 1433 when Bologna was hit by two natural disasters during the same year: a terrible earthquake and heavy rainfall, prompting the locals to turn to Madonna di San Luca for intercession and taking the image to the city in a religious procession. The legend has it, that the moment the procession reached the city walls, the rainfall stopped. Believe it or not, but nowadays Bologna is always hit by heavier-than-usual rains for the week when the image is in the city! Maybe it’s a little reminder of how it all started? Who knows!