This festive season, there’s something extra to celebrate at Bologna’s traditional Christmas markets. The porticoes that shelter them – the covered arcades which characterize most of the city’s streets – this year became a UNESCO world heritage site.

It’s not the first time Bologna’s received Unesco listing: in 2006 it won City of Music status. But for the past 15 years, the municipality’s also been trying to achieve worldwide recognition for its iconic porticoes, built between the 12^th and 20^th centuries. And this year that dream came true.

I’ve lived in the city for more than 20 years so can appreciate what makes this architectural feature so special that it deserved world heritage status.

Published on Radio DW, 2021

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