The Guardian of Bologna, San Luca sits above the city high on a hill. The story is one only most elderly people know and every year, the procession repeats the legend of this magnificient landmark.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca (or Saint Luke) rises on Guardia Hill, approximately 289 meters above the sea level of the Po Plain of Bologna. On clear days, one can see the beginning of the Italian Alps in the Veneto region from their vantage point on the hill. Construction of the "Guardian of Bologna" dates back to the 8th Century. The ancient history of the land and the first church constructed on the hill, is one that only most elderly people in Bologna tell.
San Luca, as we know it today, all began with the daughter, Angelica, of a wealthy family who owned the land. Angelica climbed to the top of the hill to study and find God. Together with another woman of a wealthy family, they built a convent, a monastery and a small church. Angelica's family then donated the land to the church with their daughter as administrator of the property. The inhabitants of the sanctuary became self-sufficient by planting their own crops and tending to farm animals. Soon, however, a majority of the monks grew dissatisfied with Angelica's management and requested an audience with the Pope to resolve the problem of rights to the land. Pope Gregory IX decided the monks should govern the land and appointed the monk known only as Pietro to make all decisions concerning the property. Pietro, however, did not agree with the Pope and continued to allow Angelica the supreme rule. Shortly after Angelica's death, the sanctuary incurred financial problems. The convent, the monastery and the church were closed until 1249, when the Cardinal of Bologna, Ottaviano Ubaldini, appointed three nuns to again oversee the management of the sanctuary. Balena, a nun with as strong a temperament as Angelica, reformed the religious community and sanctuary thrived.
Again, the monks of the monastery challenged a woman manager and told the Cardinal by the Pope's decision, the monks were in charge. The Cardinal agreed, and returned the management of the lands to the monks. The nuns resisted and after much fighting within the church, the Cardinal was transferred out of the region. The Archbishop of Ferrara then interceded and excommunicated the nuns. Many years passed with the Archbishop of Modena holding the supreme power over San Luca. There is no documentation of his decisions or effects upon the history of the sanctuary, however, on January 30, 1258, Pope Alessandro IV returned the sanctuary to the nuns by Papal Decree, giving them full control and autonomy over the decisions of the lands.
For the last 500 years, an ancient legend, has given rise to the August 15 tradition of the Madonna's annual trip to and from San Luca. The legend has it that a painting of the Virgin Mary was carried up the long hill to the top of the city by a Greek pilgrim named Theocolus. Theocolus had been given the painting near Byzantium and noted the name of the painter to be that of the evangelist, Luke. The pilgrim also found a note stating whoever found the painting should take it to the top of Guardia Hill. The pilgrim climbed the mountain until he found a church. Feeling his mission complete, he gave the painting to the parrish priest. Except for an occasional trip down the hill to Bologna, the painting remained there until 1433, when a torrential rainy season started to ruin the harvests. A procession was organized with the painting carried throughout the city with the hope a miracle would occur. The miracle did, the rain stopped. The legend states that as the painting of the Madonna made its way through the streets, the trees bowed forward to protect the painting from the rain and this sight led to the idea of building the long portico down the side of the hill running from the church and linking up with the existing porticoes of Bologna below. The Arc of Meloncello, built in 1732, lies at the bottom of the hill today and connects the sanctuary to the the ancient road to Spain (Via Saragozza). The impressive Arc was designed by Carlo Francesco Dotti (1678-1759), who also designed the 3,500 meters of portico (known as the "umbilical cord") between San Luca and Bologna. Dotti also designed the newer, larger and grander round sanctuary whose spire is the current one illuminated at night and visible to the surrounding Bologna communities. The portico, also illuminated with its 666 archways, is the longest in the world. It gives daily shelter to the faithful pilgrims from rain in the winter and blazing sun in the summer as they make their saintly journey upward. The climb is a bit easier than in earlier times as a series of steps have been added, but still the tourist is well-advised to take a tour bus instead of attempting the three hour or more climb. Other Bolognese residents use the imposing hill as fitness training for marathons or daily jogs.
If one chooses to make the climb, you can see the Oratory of San Sofia after only the first few steps. Memorial plaques dedicated to those who assisted in the construction of the portico are found here. The Oratory houses small chapels which correspond to the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary paintings, also here, but which have been terribly disfigured over time. As you walk the long portico, you see many likenesses of the Madonna, with slightly different facial features. Many of the original wealthy families of Bologna commissioned artists to paint their sons or daughters faces on the walls. The church found this to be an effective way to finance the construction and maintenance of the portico. Finally you reach the church. On the outside back wall of the sanctuary is a large painting of the Madonna with Child, which was given a heavenly blessing to be brought from Constantinople to Guardia Hill. One can simply be humbled by the sheer size which covers the entire back wall.
Each year on August 15, during the religious celebration of the Feast of the Assumption, an effigy of the Madonna is carried from the church of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore, down Via Saragozza and up the hill to San Luca, remarkably so, it is usually raining. During the walk through the porticoes, the procession stops at each Madonna painting and prays. The walk can last as long as three hours. One week later the process is repeated as the Madonna comes back down the hill and is then carried to the various churches throughout Bologna. Thousands of devoted followers line the streets, cheering and praying for their own miracles, and attached lire (the monetary unit in Italy) and laying flowers at the Madonna's feet she passes by.
