arco del Meloncello

Bologna, Italy

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

The Arco del Meloncello is an 18th-century Rococo arch in Bologna, designed by Carlo Francesco Dotti, who won the commission in a 1714 competition. Built between 1721 and 1732 with scenographic assistance from Francesco Galli Bibiena, it forms a pedestrian portico over the Via Saragozza road, part of the longer Portico di San Luca—the sheltered arcade connecting Bologna's cathedral to the hillside Sanctuary of San Luca. Located beyond the Porta Saragozza, outside the former city walls, the arch ingeniously solved the problem of two roads intersecting at right angles, allowing pilgrims to proceed uninterrupted above traffic. In the early twentieth century, the structure was raised several meters under Tito Azzolino's supervision to permit train passage beneath it.