Sunday, July 19, 2015

Via Santo Stefano

Porticoes, Via Santo Stefano, Bologna

Porticoes
Via Santo Stefano
Bologna, June 2015

“The streets were soon so crowded with porticos that the city council decided to lay down some official rules. While other cities had banned the portico, in Bologna it became compulsory as a public space. The 1288 Statutes established that all new houses should have a portico and set out the minimum measures, for example the height should be 7 feet (about 2.70 m) in order to allow the passage of a man riding his horse. This act left an imprint on the final appearance of the city.” (A stroll through Bologna and its 40 kilometres of porticos, Regione Emilia-Romagna)