Arco Bonaccorsi, Arch and historic building in Bologna, Italy
The Arco Bonaccorsi is a stone arch in Bologna that marks the start of the flat section of the San Luca portico, the covered walkway leading to the hilltop sanctuary. Built in a restrained style that avoids heavy ornamentation, it stands as an open-sided gateway framing the long path ahead.
The arch was designed in 1675 by Gian Giacomo Monti, the same architect who planned the entire San Luca portico. Its original placement was intended for the opposite side of the street, with openings facing north.
The arch takes its name from the Bonaccorsi family, whose patronage is recorded on the carved cartiglio set into the structure. It opens the flat stretch of the San Luca portico at Porta Saragozza, the route followed each year by the procession carrying the Madonna di San Luca down to the city. Residents also use the covered walkway for daily walks toward the hill.
The arch is easy to reach on foot from central Bologna and sits at Porta Saragozza, where the San Luca portico begins. A visit pairs naturally with a walk along the covered route toward the hill, and dry weather makes the experience more comfortable.
The arch carries a carved stone inscription known as a cartiglio, which commemorates the construction and its patrons. Such inscriptions are rare along the portico, making this spot one of the few places where a documented historical text can be read directly on the structure.
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