The upper town of Bergamo, the città alta, is the most beautiful medieval centre in Lombardy, protected by a fine 16th-century Venetian wall, which has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At its heart are the Piazza Vecchia and the Piazza Duomo, with their medieval and Renaissance buildings, including palaces and churches such as the Colleoni Chapel and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The name of the city probably comes from a Celtic dialect meaning “fortress on the mountain”. Below this summit lies the lower town, accessible on foot, by stairs or by funicular. It brought together several villages of the plain, becoming the modern and commercial centre of Bergamo, whose architecture spans the 18th to the 20th century.
The city saw the birth in the 19th century of Donizetti, the world-famous opera composer, whose Museo Donizettiano can be found here.
Visit and monuments
We offer here a summary for discovering Bergamo, in addition to which you can refer to the article What to see in Bergamo and Visit to the upper town of Bergamo
The upper town of Bergamo is protected by bastions built in the 16th century, under Venetian rule. It can be reached from the lower town on foot, by stairs or by taking the charming funicular. Among the gates, for example the Porta San Giacomo bears a sculpture of the Lion of Saint Mark, the emblem of Venice.
The medieval alleyways are lined with porticoes, occupied by artisans’ shops and often hiding small courtyards. Its heart is the Piazza Vecchia, one of the most beautiful and harmonious Italian squares. There stand the tower of the Torre Civica with its fine view from the top of its 52 metres, the Palazzo della Ragione built in the 12th century with its sundial and its fresco museum, or the Palazzo Nuovo. Nearby on the Piazza Duomo, the very beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo was built from the 12th century, the octagonal baptistery in the 14th century, and the sublime Colleoni Chapel is a masterpiece of Lombard Renaissance inaugurated in 1470.
Another funicular leads from the upper town to the little village district of San Vigilio on a hill and its beautiful panorama.
In the lower town, the Donizetti Theatre was built at the end of the 18th century in honour of the Bergamasque composer Donizetti. The Carrara Academy is a rich museum, but of modest size, which was founded in 1796. It exhibits works by Renaissance masters such as Botticelli, Bellini or Raphael.
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Information
- Article Wikipedia
- Tourist portals: www.visitbergamo.net, www.in-lombardia.it
Map
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