Portico dei Servi
Brick-built medieval arcade with a moulded stone ring bracing each column joint, faced in Verona marble and Istrian stone.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Portico dei Servi in Bologna traces the 1392 deal that gave Servite friars this stretch of Strada Maggiore on condition they build a portico, and their unusual choice to build it in brick faced with Verona marble and Istrian stone rather than the wood used elsewhere in the city. It follows the engineering problem posed by stacking stone column drums, likely solved by Antonio di Vincenzo, the builder then raising San Petronio's facade nearby, with the molded stone ring you can feel cut into each shaft. Run your hand down a column and count how often that ring repeats along the row.
This audio guide was created using AI.