From Rome, we made our way to Bologna a city synonymous to porticos. Porticos are structures consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building. No other city in the world has as many porticos as Bologna: all together, they cover more than 38 kilometres (24 mi) and that is only in the historic centre.
For the 2 days wandering around the city, we walked beneath the porticoes.
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Porticos Zambecarri
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Do you know – The porticoes of Bologna were built almost spontaneously, probably in the early Middle Ages, as a projection of private buildings onto public land, in order to increase living spaces. The first historical evidence is from 1041.
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Porticos of the Bank of Italy Palace.
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Porticos of Pavaglione
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With all the porticos we’ve seen, it is no wonder we can’t recall some of the names.
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Porticos in via Farini.
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Sometimes it is not about the roof design, a lot of times it is also about the columns.
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And of course, we walked the long stretch of Portico di San Luca some 3.8-kilometres consisting of 666 arches.
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On account of their cultural and artistic significance, in 2021 the porticoes of Bologna have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bologna, Italy – May 7-9, 2026
