Arcades of Bologna, Italy

A friend spent a semester abroad, in Bologna, Italy while studying for his architecture Arcaded Walkwaydegree. After a few moments of observation, he thought, “This is the way all cities should be built.” He was referring to the famous arcades or “porticoes” of the city.

“In 1088 AD, the university opened in Bologna. There was an immediate shortage of student housing.

The city fathers decreed that property owners should extend upper level rooms out from the front of their buildings. For more than 800 years, the porticoes we see today in Bologna took shape from modest to magnificent.”

Today, Bologna has over 25 miles of arcaded covered sidewalks throughout the city.

Let’s look at a few more Arcaded Sidewalks: