This weekend, I had the chance to go to Bergamo with my host parents, one of the biggest towns that I live near. It was about a 20 minute drive for us from our house and when we arrived, we did a guided tour of the "la Città Alta" together. This is the older and more historic part of the city while "la Città Bassa" is the newer and more modern part of the city. The two parts of the city are linked by a funicular (a cable railway).
Our tour guide walked with us on the cobblestone streets and the Venetian walls of the Città Alta, where we saw some beautiful panoramic views and historical sights of Bergamo.
Fall is definitely starting here, so we were able to see the beautiful foliage of the fall leaves.
Bergamo is the fourth largest city in the Lombardy region in the southern foothills of the Alps between the Brembo and Serio rivers. It is northeast of Milan, which is the capital city of the Lombardy region.
Bergamo is characterized by its Venetian Walls, that are actually deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site. They extend over 5km and consist of 4 entrance gates to the "la Città Alta." Despite the drizzle, we still walked around the walls and saw a spectacular view of Bergamo all the way to Milan.
This is Bergamo's Piazza Vecchia where you can see a lot of Bergamo's history. Palazzo della Ragione, the Civic Tower, S.Maria Maggiore Basilica, the main Cathedral, and the Colleoni Chapel all surround the Piazza Vecchia. Bergamo is also home to the University of Bergamo, an Italian public university.
During our tour, I saw these polenta sponge cakes stuffed with chocolate and hazelnut cream topped with bird-shaped decorations made out of marzipan.
This is the Colleoni Chapel (cappella), located on the Piazza del Duomo in upper Bergamo, where it stands besides the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The chapel is a renaissance work by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, with ceiling frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
This is the Bergamo Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Alexander of Bergamo, patron saint of the city. This church is also the seat of the Bishop of Bergamo.
What you see above is the lavatoio, the ancient washhouse. People used to come here to do the laundry, to chat, and to quench their thirst. Essentially, it is a long tank of white marble divided into different parts, covered by an elegant roof made of cast iron and metal slabs.
This photo is a view of the city from The Rocca, a 14th-century castle, which houses the Roman and Risorgimento museums and the old citadel, which is now a museum of geology and natural history.
What you see above is the beautiful interior of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The construction of this church began in 1137 and then it was rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries. During the first years of 1100, a terrible plague breakout spread across Europe, so when the people of Bergamo asked the Virgin Mary to assist during this time of death and desolation, they vowed to dedicate a church to Her. The church turned out to be really beautiful, as it is adorned with frescoes, stuccos, tapestries, and wooden marquetry. Santa Maria Maggiore also houses the funerary monument dedicated to Gaetano Donizetti, the famous music composer. Another interesting feature of the church is the lack of a main entrance and of the façade, which used to form a single wall with the palace next to it. In fact, there are only side entries.
The baptistery (1340) is an octagonal-shaped building that used to be a basin where people where christened according the catholic ceremony. Inside there are bass relieves depicting scenes of Jesus, realized by the renowned XIV Century sculptor Giovanni da Campione. Eight statures stand on the dome outside, representing the Virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Prudence, Temperance, and Patience.
After we were finished with the tour, we went to a cute cafe to have an aperitivo. I also tried one of the polenta cakes here. It was quite sweet, but still very good!
And that was my day in Bergamo! I definitely recommend the guided tour if you go, as you will learn more about the city and have an easier time making your way around. Hopefully the weather will be a little nicer during my next visit, but rain or shine, Bergamo is still a beautiful city that rightly deserves its title, "Italian Capital of Culture"!
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