Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, Bologna

The Santuario della Madonna di San Luca ( Shrine Our ​​Lady of the Holy Luke ) dominates the Colle della Guardia, a partially wooded hill from a height of about 300 m slm south- west of the city of Bologna. It is from the Porta Saragozza, one of the ancient gates of Bologna, over a long and characteristic portico ( the Portico di San Luca ) reached crossing the Via Saragozza with the monumental and typical Arco del Meloncello ( bow Meloncello ) from 1732 to then bring them up out on a direct path to the shrine.

The legend tells of Azzolina and Beatrice, the founders of a small monastery, which keep a picture board ( a groundbreaking icon or Hodegetria ), on the one Madonna is shown with Jesus. The picture was allegedly stolen from a pilgrimage in 1160 from Byzantium. The monastery was expanded and renovated over the centuries, but in 1723 the present building was erected under the guidance of Carlo Francesco Dotti. The side seats were completed by Giovanni Giacomo Dotti in 1774 according to the plans of the Father.

In the interior of the sanctuary, which corresponds to a Greek cross floor plan, you can admire the precious works of art by Donato Creti, Guido Reni, Vittorio Bigari, from Guercino and Domenico Pestrini. The silver plate on the image of the Madonna was made by Jan Jacobs of Brussels in 1625.

The veneration of Mary at the Sanctuary

The pilgrim Theocles received by the monks of the Basilica of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul today the image of the Madonna, to keep it on the hill of the Guard (Italian Colle della Guardia ). Theocles broke into Italy the hill the guard looking on, and only in Rome he learned from Senator Pascipovero that this mountain was near Bologna. In Bologna, he handed out his image to the Bishop Gerardo Grassi, who leaves it on May 8, 1160, two pious women, Azzolina and Beatrice Guezi who lived as hermits on the hill. The image panel was kept in a small church dedicated to Saint Luke. Finally, the image was worshiped by the people and Angelica Bofantini that the interest of Pope Celestine III. self- awakened, had the church to expand for the first time.

In 1433, when the now -fated Nicolò Albergati bishop of the city, it was a very rainy spring time which threatened the yield. To prevent starvation, suggested the governor Graziolo Accarisi that the icon would brought down in the city to ascribed before that the Holy Lukas image, the Florence long ago customary ritual following to ask for the end of the rainy season. When the icon was introduced into the city on 5 July, the rain subsided. Then there was a big celebration with a three-day march through the city, and the image was brought back into the sanctuary. At the request of the people of this ceremony was repeated each year. From 1476 the celebration of July was moved to seven days prior to Ascension. After the revered Virgin was kept for a week in the city, one her image in the sanctuary to Ascension returns. The worship of Madonna spread so much that they decided to decorate the sanctuary by building a very long semicircular canal and strengthened to protect the Madonna from the rain. This construction all wore City citizens each year group from 1674 to 1793 and consists of 666 sheets and 15 chapels. With its 3.7 km length, it is probably the longest arcade in the world.

In 1603, Madonna was crowned by the Archbishop Alfonso Paleotti and in 1857 the icon was a precious diadem of the hands of Pius IX.

Every year since 1433 " increases the Madonna di San Luca in the city down " to the delight of the Bolognese that hang in this ritual much. With a procession through the Portico di San Luca, the icon comes to town and is worn with a long parade through the Old Town in San Pietro Cathedral. On Wednesday they will accommodated with another move in the Basilica of San Petronio, on the forecourt of the church, the bishop since 1588 performs zerimonielle blessing of the city of Bologna. The festivities at the Madonna di San Luca start with getting the image on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday after Easter.

To the cult of the image of the Holy Virgin has its own museum; It is located in the gatehouse of the Porta Saragozza.

Cycling

The steep stretch of road that runs parallel to the portico of San Luca, was often the scene of various stage races. Added to it that the route has become in recent years to Endetappe from Giro dell'Emilia, which consists in this descent to ride four times. 1956 also took place a mountain path from the Giro d' Italia.

The descent begins on Meloncello (55 m ): from here to the sanctuary there are only 2 km, but with an average gradient of 10.8 % and the highest gradient of 18%. The steepest line is half way, shortly after the place where the road crosses the portico ( this curve is also known as delle Orfanelle - curve of Waislinge ).

The Abebnungshöhe is 270 m, while the slope is 215 m.

One can reach the sanctuary by the road that goes up on the oppose side of the hill (via Casaglia ). This page is the longest, however, extremely difficult.

Former cable car

Between 1931 and 1976, a funicular worked, which led to the summit before the sanctuary. The spatial location around the former valley station is still called funivia.

Pictures

A view from the sanctuary of San Luca