A sunny day on the hills of Bologna
Today is a wonderful sunny day in Bologna and I really want to take my husband in a place he doesn't know: the Monastery of San Michele in Bosco. From its churchyard the whole city can be seen! This fascinating view from the hills surrounding the center cannot be missed!
But the most surprising thing is that inside the little church, on the right of the presbytery, there is a "secrete passage" that leads to a long corridor in the ancient convent....
What really impress me is the fact that at the end of this long corridor there is a window and thanks to an optical effect you can nearly touch the famous Asinelli tower. This is why it is called "telescope of Bologna".
Since the beginning of 19th Century this Convent is the headquarter of the well-known orthopaedic hospital called Rizzoli.
As we have few more hours available today we can visit another Sanctuary on the hills of Bologna: the Basilic of San Luca.
We start from the arch of Meloncello and from here we have to walk for about 2 kilometers. If we start our path from Porta Saragozza we have to walk for about 4 kilometers. The arcade of San Luca in fact is one of the longest in the world with more than 650 arches from the bottom to the top!
Along the portico every year, in May, the "Madonna" is brought into the city center and kept in the Basilica of San Pietro for a week. It is funny but when the icon comes downtown it generally rains!
We decide to walk and enjoy the view but, if you want, you can run, ride a bike or drive a car, if you are tired.
I knew we had to walk a lot so I put on a pair of comfortable shoes!
I'm a little bit tired now but we have nearly reached the top.....
Every time I walk under this portico I think to all pilgrims who come here after a vow.
In Bologna we say "if this occur, I go to San Luca on foot".
So I think to all students who come here after passing an exam or to people who recover from an illness.. The result to all my thoughts is that everybody should stop for a while and come here to ask for Mercy!
At the end of this path, winding up the hills like a snake, it's a big emotion to be in front of the Sanctuary because when you look at it, in the distance, it seems to be impossible to reach!
Anyway, in order to admire the view and the interior of the church with the famous Byzantine Madonna with child it is better if you come here and visit Bologna with someone who lives here!
