Portico della Certosa, Portico in Bologna, Italy
The portico della Certosa is a covered arcade in Bologna that connects the Certosa cemetery to the city center and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Bolognese portici. It runs along a long route of neoclassical columns and arches, joining up with the portico of San Luca near the Meloncello Arch.
The Certosa cemetery opened in 1801 outside the city walls, and the need for a covered connection to the city soon became clear. In 1811, architect Ercole Gasparini proposed linking it to the existing portico of San Luca, and after his death in 1829, Luigi Marchesini completed the final section over the Reno canal with ionic columns instead of the originally planned large arch.
The portico della Certosa is a covered walkway linking the city to the cemetery, and its arches hold tombstones and small chapels that visitors can read as they walk through. This mix of passage and memorial space gives the route a purpose that goes beyond simple transit.
The portico is close to Porta Sant'Isaia and easy to reach on foot from central Bologna. Walking the full length takes some time, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.
A wooden bridge called the Guidi Arch was built in 1818 to cross the road from Porta Sant'Isaia, but it no longer exists today. The original project called for over 200 arches, but funding problems meant that only part of the plan was ever built.
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