The Sanctuary is linked to the city by a long portico of three and half kilometres (exactly 3769 meters) which, beginning at Porta Saragozza, reaches the top.
The portico was of course built to give protection to the pilgrims, who have always gone up to the Santuary, between the end of the 1600's and the beginning of the 1700's with the offers of the Bolognese.
The contruction work of this famous arcades began in 1674 from a design by Giacomo Monti and was completed in 1739. It consists in 666 alternating arches alond an open gallery.
Source: flickr.
