Both of us have been told time and time again to visit The Basilica di San Luca. It is clearly visible from all parts of Bologna because it sits beautifully on top of a large hill. But, how you get there is a another adventure. To reach the top, you must walk about 2 miles under a row of Portico's.
The start of the long walk up
The welcome stairs
Pre-warm up smile
Heading up the hill...already thankful for the shade
What awaits...
Of course, they save the best for last....more stairs...Some intersting facts:
*The route consists of 666 arches
* Was built in 1674-1793
*A yearly procession proceed from the church of San Pietro in the center of Bologna to the Sanctuary along this path. Originally the arches held icons or chapels erected by the patron family.
There was an adorable group of Nuns at the Basilica
The Basilica di San Luca
Inside
Mini Nun
More of the BasilicaWe packed a picnic and for the uphill hike. It took us about 45 minutes to go up (it gets very steep) and about 15 minutes to walk down. It is completely worth it. The views are unbelievable and surprisingly not crowded. Especially for a beautiful day.
Picnic time!
Followed shortly after by a nap in the sun.
The hillside
Us
More of the Basilica. It was too big to get into one full shot.
The much easier walk down. You can't see well from this picture, but the man in the back was using a ski pole to walk up. Whatever works I guess, right?
Bologna! Down on the main piazza. 
The soccer stadium is right next to the Portici. We could hear the chants and cheers from on top of the hill. Since it's free, it's a must see in Bologna. Definitely in the Springtime or Fall. Giancarlo and I joke that we'll be doing this every week instead of joining a gym, but just for the views alone, it's worth the trip. Next time we'll pack a blanket and set up shop for the whole day.
Up next, we're going to venture to the Seven Churchs of Santo Stefano, and hike up to the top of the Torre degli Asinelli, the Two Towers in Bologna.
The rest of the pictures here
2 comments:
Great pictures-it looks wonderfully fun. Ahhh Italy.
you 2 are so cute! You've gotta come down & visit us in Le Marche - we're only about 2 hours away & it would make a lovely romantic country getaway!! (And my husband Jason is from Cali!)
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