Madonna di San Luca, Bologna Shrine

Address: Santuario della Madonna di San Luca, Via di San Luca 36, 40136 Bologna, Italy

Admission: Free entry to the sanctuary

Madonna di San Luca is a hilltop sanctuary and basilica on the Colle della Guardia overlooking Bologna, linked to the city by a long covered portico and noted for its religious and urban prominence.

The sanctuary has medieval origins as a devotional site on the hill; the extended portico and the present basilica were developed in the early modern period and completed in subsequent centuries to formalise the pilgrimage route and protect the procession path from the city to the hilltop.

The basilica sits atop Colle della Guardia to the southwest of Bologna’s historic centre and is connected to the city through the long portico that begins near Porta Saragozza.

• Pilgrimage route: The portico links the city to the hilltop basilica and is commonly walked by pilgrims and visitors; prepare for an uphill route if starting from Porta Saragozza.

What to See#

• Portico of San Luca: A covered walkway linking the basilica with the city, 3.8 kilometres long and traditionally said to have 666 arches, forming the world’s longest portico and providing a sheltered pilgrimage route.
• Sanctuary (Basilica): The hilltop sanctuary and basilica housing a venerated image of the Virgin and Child, forming the focal point of devotion and the terminus of the portico route.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca sits on a hill southwest of Bologna and is connected to the city by the long Portico di San Luca. From Bologna city centre (Porta Saragozza/Portico) you can walk the covered portico to the basilica - the walk is about 3.8 km along the portico and uphill to the sanctuary.

Alternatively take local bus number 58 (city service) from central Bologna/Porta Saragozza up toward San Luca or drive from the centre along Via Saragozza and the road up to the basilica; there is parking near the sanctuary and the bus stop is a short walk from the church.

• Walk up the Portico di San Luca from Porta Saragozza to experience the nearly continuous covered arcade and the sequence of chapels that many visitors miss.
• Go early morning or late afternoon for cooler temperatures and quieter conditions; sunset also offers excellent views over Bologna from the sanctuary terrace.
• If you prefer not to walk the entire portico, use the local hillside bus services to reach the sanctuary and save time-parking near the top is limited.