Servants of Mary

Talking about Bolognese sanctuaries, the most memorable point on the Strada Maggiore was the piazza in front of the Basilica of the Santa Maria dei Servi about half way the street. There is an arcade surrounding the square on all sides. Two of them are attached to the buildings and two are open to the street.

There was some repair work ongoing on one side so we couldn’t get any pictures of the square in all its glory. However, the three sides already reveal what an impressive cloister yard like structure the arcade with its marble columns constitutes.

Like that of the church itself, construction of the extraordinary arcade began in the late 14th century but it only got its present form in the 19th century. It extends as a portico on the street side of the 100-metre-long basilica with a spot open to the garden at the far end.

We walked by the basilica several times daily and even popped in once. Too bad the weather was so grey all through our stay in Bologna.