Bologna, Italy is known for their Portico's

Bologna, Italy (specific post on Portico's) 

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Bologna, Italy is known for their Portico's
What is a 'portico?' It is a sidewalk that is built into the design of the building the sidewalk is in front of.  The proper portico is high enough that a person riding on a horse would have no trouble being in, so they are generally 15-20 feet high.  These portico's were SO helpful the first few days we were in Bologna, as it rained and rained and we were able to stay mostly dry...under our lovely portico's.

If you look inside the portico, across the street, you can see the lights and windows of shops.  Most of the portico's have windows and entry doors to get into the buildings that way.  Every kind of shop, from food/sandwich, gelato (gelato is Italy's version of American ice cream, only theirs is better!), banking, shoes, clothes, music...endless shops, and stores are showcased through the glass windows under the portico's protection.  

The best portico examples are from very old buildings.  There are plenty of newish buildings that don't have portico's, but the buildings with the portico's definitely had more foot traffic.  The bicycles, scooters, and cars zooming around make the safe portico walkways preferable.  Bologna closes specific streets in the evening, or on Sunday so that the people of Bologna can bring out their kids and dogs and walk up and down the boulevard.  These main streets, full of people, are a big social event!

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