Bergamo's topography is the first thing that travelers see upon arrival. It rises abruptly to the sixteenth century bastions at the highest of its hill. This contrast is produced more stark by The reality that the reduced streets are lined with Neoclassical or modern day buildings though the outdated town's slender lanes weave haphazardly involving Romanesque and Renaissance constructions. Most vacationer points of interest can be found during the outdated upper town Citta Alta.
A funicular connects the two parts of Bergamo, which makes it considerably more available as opposed to steep and winding roads that produce both end. These roadways result in the aged metropolis in the magnificent gates. Two of them feature the Lion of St. Mark. That is a reminder of how Bergamo, in addition to A great deal of northern Italy was after A part of a Venetian Republic.
This useful manual can assist you find the leading Bergamo points of interest.
Citta Alta
The Citta Alta is the most popular area to go to in Bergamo. It's the outdated town with medieval and Renaissance structures, perched in addition to a rock outcrop. It is possible to reach it by using the funicular to Piazza del Mercato delle scarpe. This slender square contributes to the slender, stone-paved By way of Gombito. Below you'll find a patrician tower-household called the Torre di Gombito. It was constructed all around 1100.
Via di Porta Dipinta is beneath the amazing churches of San Michele al Pozzo Bianco, and Sant'Andrea. (Inside the previous is usually a Madonna Inthroned With Saints By Moretto). By way of Gombito is lined by patrician structures which have compact shops at Road stage. It causes Piazza Vecchia.
Piazza Vecchia
This square is located in the center with the aged town and includes a remarkable collection of patrician properties plus the Palazzo della Ragione (town corridor). The piazza's upper edge is dominated through the 12th-century Palazzo della Ragione's stone staircase, and loggia with 3 Gothic arches, which was mostly rebuilt in mid-1500s.
The late-Renaissance Palazzo Nuovo is situated over the reduce side. It homes the municipal library. The Contarini Font is in the middle. It truly is decorated with lions and A further Lion of St. Mark can be noticed searching down from your prime. The higher corner features a cafe that permits you to recognize the scene.
Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of St. Mary Big).
The archway at Piazza Vecchia's top rated is Piazza del Duomo, which has many of Bergamo’s most extraordinary architectural treasures. Santa Maria Maggiore is a Romanesque basilica which was built-in 1137. It's got a tower with stepped backs around the crossing and an elaborate choir.
The doorways to your church's aspect are guarded beneath lovely Gothic canopies by lions (1353 and 1306). You can find wonderful Renaissance choirstalls and Baroque stuccowork within, along with 16th-century tapestries and side-aisles. Local admirers continue to leave fresh flower tributes to the tomb of Donizetti, a Bergamo indigenous that is buried listed here.
Cappella Colleoni (Colleoni Chapel)
While you step into Piazza Duomo, You can not pass up Bergamo's most placing facade adjoining Santa Maria Maggiore. The Cappella Colleoni, a masterpiece in early Lombard Renaissance layout, includes a beautifully decorated facade made of multicolored inlaid margarine.
The chapel was crafted 1470-seventy six to accommodate the family members shrine of Condottiere Bartolomeo Coleoni and Medea. It absolutely was also intended by Giovanni Amadeo who also created the tombs inside. In 1732, Giambattista Tiepolo included ceiling paintings.
Artwork Gallery in the Accademia Carrara
The Accademia Carara is one of Italy's most prestigious artwork museums. It might be achieved by way of a stepped lane that prospects down from Porta Sant'Agostino. You may see about 500 paintings and sixty sculptures at any presented time. They're selected from in excess of 1,five hundred paintings, and one hundred thirty sculptures.
These collections include will work of Lorenzo Lotto and Palma il Vecchio and also works from Anton van Dyck and Albrecht Durer.
Cinta Muraria und town Gates
The Cinta Muraria, an old town surrounded by over 4 kilometers well worth of partitions created by the Venetians, is surrounded by them. Viale delle Mura carries on to adhere to them from Porta Sant'Alessandro close to the Donizetti Museum. It then passes Porta San Giacomo which is considered the most stunning with the town gates. Last but not least, it goes past Sant'Agostino's church to Porta Sant'Agostino. Viale Vittorio Emanuele I descends from this gate to the center of your reduced city.
The beautiful wall process consists of fourteen bastions and a hundred cannon embrasures. You can also find four gates and two armories. Underground passages and tunnels will also be bundled. UNESCO Planet Heritage Web-site.
Cathedral of Sant'Alessandro
The cathedral of Sant'Alessandro is located with the Piazza del Duomo. It absolutely was built in 1459 and has a Neoclassical façade and dome which were included in 1889. You will discover wonderful Baroque choir stalls and paintings by Previtali, Tiepolo and Moroni within.
The church treasury also is made up of a number of silver reliquaries. It incorporates the Tiara of beatified Pope John XXIII. This Tiara is adorned with pearls and diamonds, rubies, rubies, and emeralds. During the Chapel of St. Vincent and St. John XXIII, you will discover his tiara, chalice and a number of other goods.
Baptistery
The Baptistery is situated to the proper of Cappella Colleoni. It truly is an unconventional, octagonal building that dates back to 1340. It had been originally situated in Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1661, it absolutely was taken down and saved. It absolutely was reassembled in 1856 and again re-erected in 1898.
It's surrounded by statues that depict the Virtues Religion, Hope Charity, Justice, check here Prudence and Temperance. They day back again to your 14th Century. It's got a Gothic baptismal fountain in its Centre, while the altar behind it homes a marble statue representing St. John the Baptist.
Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali (Organic Science Museum)
The Piazza Vecchia is attained with the By means of Colleoni, which operates north to the Citadel. It houses an excellent museum that exhibits all-natural science, archeology, ethnography and paleontology.
You'll find a sizable, reconstructed mammoth as you enter. This exhibit pertains to the early twentieth century discovery of huge portions of mammoth stays while in the Petosino basic.
The Hall of Mammals inside the museum displays fossils from this region. The museum residences much more than a thousand ethnographic artifacts. These are definitely typically from early travellers to Africa as well as Americas. They may be interpreted not simply as curiosities but in addition for their artistic and cultural benefit.
The museum is provided with sensory characteristics that make it simple to use for people who have impaired sight. An English version of audio guides is out there.
Piazza Matteotti
Piazza Matteotti is situated in the center of Bergamo’s Decrease Town (Citta bassa). It is surrounded by wonderful gardens, parks and monuments. The Piazza Vittorio Veneto also has the Torre dei Caduti for a war memorial. The twin neoclassical gateways from the Porta Nuova can be found opposite. From there, the Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII continues south into the educate station.
The principle site visitors artery of Bergamo Is that this Road and Viale Vittoria Emanuele II that runs within the Piazza Vittorio Veneto up to your upper city. East of Piazza Matteotti would be the Teatro Donizetti. Around the east facet, you'll discover a monument to Gaetano Donizetti.