The Porches of Bologna, Unesco world heritage

THE PORCHES OF BOLOGNA: HISTORY 

Among the symbols of the city of Bologna par excellence are the Proches, a characteristic element of both the historic center and outside the walls. The length of the porches in Bologna is 62 km, 40 of which are inside the historic centre, making it the longest in the world.

But where does this particular architectural element come from? We have to go back to the early Middle Ages when the population of the city, wanting to increase their living spaces, began to expand private properties on public land. Initially the protrusion was minimal, and it was sufficient to insert a simple shelf as a support element.
Then the dimensions increased considerably and the small reinforcements devised up to then ended up no longer being sufficient.

For this reason, to avoid the collapse of the projecting structure, it was necessary to insert real columns which ended up creating the famous porticoes. But the increase in the size of the houses did not prove to be the only benefit derived from their construction. They allowed people to take refuge under
them to protect themselves from the rain or the sun, making the roads safer in all weather conditions. Furthermore, the artisans who had their own workshop on the ground floor could expand the space available, both to be used for processing and for displaying the goods.

With the birth of the University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, in 1088, there was an increase in the population, now also made up of students and teachers. From here, the creation of porticoes, initially born as an abusive practice to expand one's homes, became an obligation. From 1288, through the publication of a municipal notice, every new house was supposed to have a porch while the existing ones were supposed to build one. The height and width were even established as each porch had to guarantee the passage of a man on horseback.

Obviously these directives have not been respected in all areas of the city: especially in the poorest areas they were built with reduced measures due to lack of economic resources.

Over time, the materials used also changed. Initially, the use of wood was used, some of which is still visible in the city such as that of Corte Isolani, later replaced by brick or stone.

THE SERVANTS PORCH AND MANY OTHERS 

 The porches of Bologna are not all the same: they differ in the structural characteristics, the materials used or in their incredible history.

Like the portico of the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi, in Strada Maggiore, built 10 years after the construction of the structure, to which the various arches were then added over time. It is the largest portico, or rather the quadriportico, in Bologna.

The highest portico, on the other hand, is that of Palazzo dell'Arcidiocesi, in via Altabella, which, reaching 10 meters in height, takes the lead.

In via Senzanome you can walk under a 95cm portico, the narrowest in Bologna.

But one of the most famous porticoes is that of San Luca, so called because it connects the historic center with the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, on the Bolognese hills. It is a destination for pilgrimages as a sign of devotion to the Madonna, of which the work "Virgin with Child" is present inside the Sanctuary. The portico of San Luca gives another record to the city: with its 3,796 meters in length it ranks as the longest portico in the world.

PORTICOES OF BOLOGNA, UNESCO HERITAGE 

Already in 2006 Bologna had received recognition from UNESCO, which had declared it the Creative City of Music. Fifteen years later, on 28 July 2021, the porches were named a Unesco World Heritage Site with the aim of preserving this characteristic element of the city and its history.

Among the reasons for the choice, UNESCO explained that the porches represent not only "an identifying element of the city of Bologna" but also "a point of reference for a sustainable urban lifestyle" made up of full integration between homes and spaces religious and civil.

The list of twelve porticoes presented by UNESCO includes those of piazza Maggiore and Pavaglione, that of San Luca, Santa Caterina, the portico of MamBo (Museum of Modern Art of Bologna), the porticoes of via Farini, those of Piazza Cavour, Piazza Santo Stefano and Via Zamboni. To these are added the porticoes of the Baraccano, those of via Galliera, of the Certosa and the porticoed building of the Barca district.

Bologna is a city full of uniqueness: from the longest portico to the wonders protected by Unesco, in a constant search to safeguard the history of the Learned City made up of culture and traditions.