Unesco recognizes Bologna’s Italian Porticoes as World Heritage site
Poet Luca Gamberini writes: “I love you in Bologna sounds better: it echoes of porticoes”. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine Emilia Romagna’s capital city without immediately thinking about one of its most characterizing attractions. More than 62 km of porticoes that cross the city up and down: from the city center to the hills.
They are a distinguishing mark that makes Bologna one of a kind and represents a centuries-old artistic and architectural heritage of welcome, meeting and shelter. Now Unesco also recognizes them as World Heritage site. The announcement came during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee which took place in China. It’s a certified fact that the porticoes have always been undisputed protagonists of the city.
Their birth goes back to around 1100 A.D. when Bologna, home of the oldest University of the Western world, in order to welcome thousands of transfer students, was forced to widen its buildings by extending the living space of the upper floors thanks to the ingenious expedient of the porticoes, which sustained the new foundations.
From the Middle Age to today, the porticoes have become the undisputed protagonists of the city: from that of San Luca, the longest one, with its 4 kms which lead to the Marian sanctuary, to that of Santa Maria dei Servi, the widest one, where every year the traditional Christmas market of Santa Lucia takes place, the porticoes have crossed the history of the city and nowadays are one of the most admired attractions by tourists. Also Galleria Cavour, with its strategic location in the heart of Bologna, is characterized by its own portico that welcomes the visitors from the main entrance, the one which opens on Via Farini 14. It’s no coincidence that, in restyling its own image, the new ownership, under the leadership of Avv. Gioia Martini, has pointed on the portico to redefine its logo and give historicity and belonging to the segment administered by the latter: from the crossroads featuring Prada and Tiffany, it crosses the most prestigious boutiques to open on Piazza Cavour.
Galleria Cavour’s portico frames one of the iconic squares of Bologna, the former Piazza Grande, nowadays Cavour, recently enriched by the statue in honor of Lucio Dalla, and it extends on the left towards the historical Palazzo Vassè Pietramellara (integral part of Galleria), leading the visitors towards the elegant cafés of Piazza Minghetti, while on the right it points to Piazza Maggiore joining the portico of Pavaglione, which has always been a crossroads of city trades and university knowledge, thanks to the prestigious headquarters of Archiginnasio, nowadays still open in its magnificence.
Center of sociality, shelter from bad weather, background for buskers and traders, plate for several outdoors cafés: this is what the porticoes are about and a lot more. The recognition of Unesco as World Heritage site recognizes Bologna its centuries-old tradition of welcome and uniqueness expressed, still nowadays, by its precious wonders, among which our Galleria represents one of the flagships.