Arco del Meloncello (Bologna)

An arch connecting the portico of Via Saragozza to the portico of San Luca: the climb of the Colle della Guardia for those who want to reach the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca starts here: it is the Arco del Meloncello.
This structure in Rococo style, with a central loggia, was built in the 18th century by the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti together with Francesco Galli Bibiena. Dotti’s project won a competition in which a solution was sought to connect the portico of San Luca with the one of Via Saragozza: his was the only project that included a raised passage. Later, in the 20th century, Tito Azzolini modified the structure by raising it a few meters to allow the passage of the train line.
The name is due to the presence of the Rio Meloncello: a watercourse that flows nearby and that was covered in the 20th century.
The coat of arms visible in the center is that of the Monti Bendini family, who undertook to finance the construction of the portico of San Luca and of this arch.

Photo: Mauro Casini – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, bit.ly/3xekt8N

Author

  • Appassionato fin da piccolo di computer e tecnologia, sono programmatore per lavoro e per passione. Ho una laurea magistrale in Informatica conseguita all'Università di Bologna. Co-ideatore e sviluppatore di Nice Places.

Lorenzo Vainigli

Appassionato fin da piccolo di computer e tecnologia, sono programmatore per lavoro e per passione. Ho una laurea magistrale in Informatica conseguita all'Università di Bologna. Co-ideatore e sviluppatore di Nice Places.