gb BERGAMO Art city

Mini guide of the city Squares • Monuments • History • Theatres • Churches Museums • Architecture • Transport • Useful Information 2 BETWEEN TWO TOWNS BERGAMO 3

visit to Bergamo is a journey between two towns, one on a hill, the other on the plain; two towns that are essentially different but linked, not only by history, but also by a dense web of streets, alleys and cobbled stairways. Bergamo is a people-friendly city thanks to its open spaces, theA beauty and atmosphere of its attractions and the quality of life. For this reason it is a city well worth visiting, even without planning a precise itinerary. Our tour begins in the hilltop town, where we can savour the atmosphere of the historic centre and its monuments, and the lights and character of Piazza Vecchia, Sentierone which recall Venice of old. It then continues in search of the LARGO FUNICOLARE COLLE APERTO PER SAN VIGILIO VIA DELL GAMEC (Gallery of Modern beautiful views across the plain A BO CCO P P LA ZO LOREN VIA DELLA FARA PIAZZA and towards the Alps from extraor- N and Contemporary Art) A A P R CITTADELLA S

A PIAZZA I MU dinary panoramic positions on top of V E L L. MASCHERONI PIAZZALE L PARCO P E SANT’AGOSTINO D V D. RIMEMBRANZE

the Civic Tower (Campanone - Big I E A L

S P IA V A PIAZZA Bell), the Rocca (Fortress) and the N LA FARA LA NOCA PIAZZA DEL S MERCATO IA A V PIAZZA LV VECCHIA V D. FIENO A I A Gombito Tower. TO G CARRARA R OM E BI PIAZZA TO V I

A

The old routes through the historic V DUOMO i A C

V R I IA PIAZZA PINTA MU A

DI E .

L A LL BA E ORT DE P D MERCATO VIA P VIALE P O I quarter of Pignolo or Sant’Alessandro E G S PIAZZALE L DI SCARPE A T N L T E M ENRICO O I M O S

U L T PIAZZA O T TIRABOSCHI and the road which, from the ramparts R P O A OM A N I IAC R V ROSATE G U A M S I N LE A A L E II DE EL A U I A passing through Sant’Agostino Gate, S LE N PARCO A A VI V . P M A E P I O SUARDI V I I R T descends to the centre of Lower TO E V N IA IT P.TTA T V T R E I E L DEL DELFINO N A A I Bergamo, are ideal itineraries for R VI NN O IO M R V VA I I A A IO G FUNICOLARE V G L A discovering the two facets of IA N L.GO GA L A L E P S E S I A DEL VIA D G VI S N A GALGARIO N LU A O the city from a continuously TA CIA VE I A D AN CC H R L

S A A R IA O

V V T O

I IG ROTONDA E PARCO T A T N

L R N I E changing perspective. But E MARENZI O S. LUCIA O O N R V A E S L

IA O R N T A I A N Z

. T O RO O O M

IZ T we should not forget the SM N M A

IA IN ORO I I R I A D’ O IA V F A C CONC V I I U LLERIA L . V L GA V O D T IA R PARCO P.TTA funicular which, on the A C E IA LARGO L . V T E L A CAPROTTI S. SPIRITO V N A T E A ADUA V T E P V S IT A L P I O G LI E A T I S one hand facilitates the A N R I O D V B U A R A E L IO I GI L VI

I V A A ORGO V O PIAZZA B E I P PA IA M V LA

L R Z connections between the M ZO T A L DELLA O A VIA SAN A R I T O I D U ’A N E IN V REPUBBLICA C N L U L V O N S IA E E A L two towns, and on the IA L L IG O I O S E E T G S Z O Z I S E A I A AR Z I V SC I S U I N P O R A V P I E A L D E T E B DE M other offers a different I C O L R D O A V M N T C E N LO O PIAZZA IA A E V N E S A V U IA PIAZZA I V G R D. LIBERTÀ Q V RI TA A R A F L and unique way of get- O T O S. ANNA U F O T L N VIA T A . E P O P L A I A V D NSE C L I V R V E I I V I A U A M N A A ting to know Bergamo. A C C N I S D MADO C A PIAZZA V A H T IA A V D. ALIGHIERI V I I VIA GIUSE V IA

PPE MAZ V ZINI I S

VIA GIUSEP I

PE GARIBALDI A Z T

ROTONDA PIAZZA Z O I

S PIAZZA A MO V P

A DEI E CAVOUR A P M V N IA A O

N IA VITTORIO C O MILLE O A C N L N

T F R I E . C VENETO E V L I G O

’ I AN A RI T A VIA B O S R

L P N O

L O E A E V I E V I S L N A

S P M I B A M U A A O I S R V A O

C F V F L A N S U F

A R I O N

A A E O O PIAZZA T P I

N D R

C A T V A R

GIACOMO S L LARGO A I

A A B E O R A N A I MATTEOTTI A A I C P.TA NUOVA I T VIA S . V ANT M A V N ’O O RSO M F LA E A O A N L L

R LARGO E N I L

F O E G T V I N R A O A N. REZZARA B I I M A A E L VI N V T V T I E I E A S O P PIAZZA X LARGO G A X H N VIA P IS A PONTIDA MED. L A A Z G VIA BROSETA N L E D’ORO I AT Z A O N V O ’ LARGO AMBO IA N V PIAZZALE VIA Z D A SAN ROCCO G I V VIC. CINQUE VIE . N I IO DEGLI A R G N G I J A ALPINI A IO I X O P X C E V I O R G II P A U P Z ID O Z V O i A I I P P A A L N A P A G G A L O . L N Q IA C PIAZZALE MARCONI MA A R O S O U E A M L I A R A L I E V A P V T O N E S L G O I O H R C T O T STAZIONE FF.SS. N I C T I Z IE A H D P AZ I B R O L IA N A A V A N P I I G R G V I I I L IA A L BE U F V E L R A M N T O N A E N L O S O L I B D C A A A I I A V I L Largo Porta Nuova V V V I

IO G R IO G VIA E N . BA A SCH S ENIS VIA Teatro Donizetti (Donizetti Theatre) 4 THE MAGIC OF BERGAMO BETWEEN ONE CENTURY AND ANOTHER 5

1430 FROM THE BRONZE AGE The new domination begins building the TO THE “LORDS” OF MILAN first structures, including the walls, known as the “Muraine”, which incorporate a large VI-IV century B.C. part of the city’s quarters in the Upper Town. First Celtic settlement on Bergamo hill. The “new square” (which later becomes 197 B.C. “Piazza Vecchia” - the Old Square) begins to With the beginning of Roman colonisation, the hilltop settlement begins to assume the take shape when the Venetian Palazzo del characteristics of the Roman city. Podestà is built. 49 B.C. 1561 Already a part of the military road network Construction of the mighty wall defending of Cisalpine Gaul, Bergamo is recognised by the hilltop town begins. Work continues until Rome as a Municipium. 1588, and is followed by reconstruction of the 568 castle on San Vigilio hill. Bergamo becomes to The towers and bell towers of Città Alta (Upper Bergamo) After being attacked and destroyed all intents and purposes a fortress city. by peoples from the North, the city 1593 is conquered by the Lombards. oday one of the best places to cupied by the firstC eltic village, which The “Strada Priula”, an important trade route Certain places, such as the Fara, owe their and strategic link with Valtellina and Central admire Bergamo is from the ter- was most probably followed by a Gallic name to this presence. Europe, is completed and opened. minal of Orio al Serio Airport. oppidum. This further confirms the fact 774 The city passes under the rule of the Franks, 1734 Visitors arriving by air have that the hill complex of Bergamo was Construction work begins on a new aT first glimpse of the unique quality a natural meeting point between the but Lombard customs remain rooted in the population. fair on the plain in the area of the old of the city, with its historic old town economies of the plain and those of 904 Sant’Alessandro fair which included 350 sitting majestically on the hill against the mountain, which developed along King Berengario hands over the jurisdiction shops. the backdrop of the Alps. Once on the a mountain path used since prehistory. of the city to Bishop Adalbert. The bishop, 1797 ground this view can be seen in all its Since that time, century after century, among other things, rebuilds the walls and After Napoleon’s forces enter the city and beauty as the unmistakeable outline the hilltop city grew, developed and city defences. after the defeat of Venice, the Bergamo 1098 Republic is founded, which then becomes of towers, domes and bell towers of changed, but the centre remained in its After Episcopal rule, Bergamo becomes a original location. Although construc- part of the Kingdom of Italy. Old Bergamo is revealed. But there is free Commune, governed by Consuls. During 1814 this period the Basilica of Santa Maria another way to have a complete view tion of the Venetian walls modified After the fall of Napoleon, Bergamo passes of the relationship between Bergamo the appearance of the hill, it helped Maggiore and the Palazzo della Ragione are built, together with numerous fountains, under Austrian domination following the and the surrounding area. As you make to emphasise this distinctive aspect. many of which survive today. Congress of Vienna. As part of the Austro- your way from the plain along one of The Old Town remained on the hill, Irrigation ditches and canals are constructed Hungarian empire, Bergamo becomes the main roads that cross countryside while Bergamo maintained connec- on the plain which lead to the development connected (1857) to the Lombardy rail network. dotted with businesses and houses, tions with the rest of the area via the of flourishing activities. 1859 the city, which begins to take shape in historic quarters that expanded along 1167 On the morning of 6 June, Giuseppe Garibaldi Bergamo joins the Lega Lombarda (Lombard the distance, appears like a gateway to the routes leading to the plain and enters the city at the command of the Hunters League) against Emperor Frederick I. The of the Alps. The people of Bergamo make the mountains. other Lombardy cities. This natural league, which unites 16 communes, is an important contribution to Risorgimento Old Bergamo developed in a strategic expansion did not occur to the detri- sanctioned with an oath taken in the Abbey struggles with 180 of them becoming part of location, at the entrance to the Seriana ment of the areas on the hill, but across of Pontida. the Expedition of the Thousand (1860). 1331 the plain where, with clever planning, 1887 and Brembana Valleys, which both To put an end to the battles between the weave their way for about fifty kilome- the modern city was created during Guelphs and the Ghibellines, King John Lower Bergamo is connected to Upper tres between the mountains known as the last century. Just how strong and of Boemia is called to Bergamo. The Bergamo by the funicular railway, one of the the Orobie Alps. This strategic location important this relationship between “peace” however marks the end of the free first of its kind built in Italy. enabled the city to secure a monopoly Upper and Lower Town is can be seen Commune. This is the beginning of the rule Twentieth century of the Visconti, the “Lords” of Milan, over In the Twenties the town centre of Lower on trade between the plain and the by following the main street (Viale the city and surrounding area. Bergamo is built in the area of the old fair, mountains, which lasted for centuries Vittorio Emanuele and its continuation on the design of the architect Piacentini. and was only lost during the last few to the railway station) and the adja- FROM THE REPUBLIC OF VENICE In 1934 the Bergamo-Milan motorway is decades with the construction of new cent road network where, between TO THE PRESENT DAY inaugurated, the second in Italy. In 1958 road systems. It was probably these one beautiful view and another, the Angelo Roncalli, patriarch of Venice, is exchanges between protohistoric unique quality of the town is rein- elected to papal office. Pope John XXIII, as populations that originated in the first forced. Besides its monumental and 1428 he becomes, passes into Church history for settlement on Bergamo hill. Recent artistic heritage, the magic of Bergamo After the difficult and oppressive domination having launched the second Vatican Council. archaeological excavations have in lies precisely in this dual aspect which of the Visconti, Bergamo submits to the lion At the end of the century, the Airport of Orio of St. Mark, when Venice begins to prevail in al Serio, at the entrance to the city, records fact identified the presence of the fairly until now has well withstood the rapid Lombardy after defeating the Milanese army growing development, becoming, at the extensive community which developed growth that has occurred over the last at Maclodio. This marks the beginning of a start of the new millennium, one of the most between the VI and IV century B.C. The fifty years and the consequent building close relationship between the two cities important Italian airports with more than 6 Roman city was built on the area oc- expansion. which persists for three and a half centuries. million passengers a year. 6 THE HILLTOP CITY BERGAMO 7

he major part of the city’s monumental and artistic heritage is pre- Lorenzo and Via Mario Lupo following the line of the Decumanus and the Cardo served within the limited expanse of Upper Bergamo - an area which respectively, and forming a crossroads at the Gombito Tower. The funicular is no larger than a town quarter. The walls built in the sixteenth century from Lower Bergamo arrives inside the walls, facilitating access to the Upper during Venetian rule mark the boundary to this area, which is rich in Town. On the other side of town, just a few metres from Sant’Alessandro Gate, Thistory and signs of the past. It is precisely this concentration of sights that another funicular climbs to San Vigilio hill, from where there are splendid makes it easy for the tourist to explore the medieval streets and alleyways in panoramic views. In 1913, the writer Hermann Hesse, Nobel prize-winner for the shadow of towers and bell towers and search out the most town’s beauti- literature, used this funicular (recently inaugurated at the time) to explore ful corners. The structure of the old city is based on the arrangement of Roman Bergamo hill. Dotted with gardens and vegetable plots, the beauty of this Bergamo with Via Gombito and Via Colleoni (formerly Corsarola) and Via San area and countryside has remained almost unchanged over the centuries.

Castello San Vigilio (San Vigilio Castle)

Piazza Vecchia

I Fontana Contarini M A PORTA R (Contarini Fountain) T L SAN LORENZO E

B (GARIBALDI)

A

Funicular I V IA V A The Fara and the Rocca to San Vigilio Castle L L LARGO A PO COLLE APERTO RTA (Fortress) PORTA DI S. LOR V EN P V SANT’ALESSANDRO IA D ZO IA EL D PIAZZA VA DELLA BOCCOLA E L GIN IA LA FARA CITTADELLA E V P P PIAZZA P MASCHERONI IS SS A O T A VI Z A IA R CO N PARCO DELLE PIAZZALE LL V U EO E S. AGOSTINO M N R RIMEBRANZE O I A I L O PIAZZA P Complesso di Sant’Agostino E H O L L C IV L C MERCATO R N E E Rocca (Building of St. Agostino) V A A D L Torre Civica I DEL FIENO LA FARA V A V S E I S L A (Campanone) A A I A I I S V A V V N PORTA S V A I A SANT’AGOSTINO U LV A T M R A G A A T O L D O M I PIAZZA O S V R B PIAZZALE . E S G IA I VECCHIA T V R O A BRIGATA A A I I TA R A V E N i A LEGNANO O PIAZZA DUOMO CC S A A RO LL M A A A I N S. Maria Maggiore V TA O VIA PORTA DIPIN ICOL PIAZZA MERCATO V O P B E DELLE SCARPE T T TTI AM IZE URA I VIA DON LLE M V PIAZZA E IA D L E E ROSATE VIAL D E O L OM L E GIAC E V T N P I A A M A S S U S O R . R IA L V A O IA R V E N ZI NO PORTA Funicular S. GIACOMO from Lower Cappella Colleoni to Upper Bergamo (Colleoni Chapel) Porta S. Agostino (S. Agostino Gate)

Duomo 8 UPPER BERGAMO HISTORICAL CENTRE 9

Piazza Vecchia TORRE CIVICA (CIVIC TOWER) van Battista Moroni, Sebastiano Ricci The architecture of Piazza Vecchia plays (Campanone or BIG BELL) and Andrea Previtali. a subtle trick on the eye which makes the A symbol of the medieval city, the Opening hours: 7.30-11.45/15.00-18.30. square seem larger than it really is. This 52-metre high Civic Tower not only Info: tel. +39 035 210223. area, the heart of political and administra- offers from its two panoramic floors tive life of Bergamo and the surrounding (accessed with an ultramodern lift) BATTISTERO (BAPTISTERY) area, began to take shape in the fifteenth splendid views over the roofs of the his- The Baptistery, which complements the century with the demolition of a group of torical centre and towards the Alps, but intimate atmosphere of Piazza del Duomo, houses that occupied the area in front it also provides the perfect viewpoint has stood in its current location only since of Palazzo della Ragione. It was at the for looking down onto Piazza Vecchia. It 1898. The building has much older origins beginning of Venetian domination that is in fact only from above that one can and was erected in 1340 by Giovanni da this central area acquired its Renaissance appreciate the balanced dimensions of Campione inside the Basilica di Santa form and dimensions, above all when this square, which is centred around the Maria Maggiore, which at the time was the building on the western side was beautiful fountain donated in 1780 to a baptismal church. When the rite of transformed into the seat of the Venetian the city by the Venetian Podestà Alvise baptism was transferred to the Duomo, the San Giacomo Gate Podestà. In 1477, one of the best-known Contarini. The tower is also known as Baptistery, besides having no further use, artists of the era, Bramante, was called the Campanone, or Big Bell, because of was considered too large for the Basilica. THE WALLS AND THE GATES to decorate the façade with frescoes. the large bell which, as well as announc- In 1660 it was dismantled and positioned When in August 1561 work began on The square assumed its definitive ap- ing municipal council meetings, sounds in the courtyard where it remained until a the walls, General Sforza Pallavicino pearance in 1604 with the construction, over 100 times at 10 p.m. every evening couple of centuries ago. In 1856, it was discovered he had made a mistake in his on the east side, of the Town Hall. This to signal the old curfew when the gates rebuilt in the Canons’ courtyard. However calculations. According to the original project was entrusted to the architect of the city were closed. this destination was not satisfactory and plan, simple defences were to be built Vincenzo Scamozzi but, because of a lack Opening hours: November to February it was finally placed in front of theD uomo. against a sudden attack from the Spa- of funds, the building was not completed from Tuesday to Friday open with prior nish who had gained control of Milan, according to the original design. Clad booking; Saturday, Sunday and public ho- but this idea was abandoned and it with white marble, the building today lidays 9.30-16.30. March to October from was decided to build fortifications that houses the Angelo Mai Civic Library, Tuesday to Friday 9.30-19.00; Saturday, were able to resist an army equipped which preserves a very valuable herit- Sunday and public holidays 9.30-21.30. with the most modern firearms of the age of parchments, illuminated codices, Info: tel. +39 035 247116. era. As a result the walls, which should incunabula and archives that tell the have been finished within a few months, history of the city. Today the appearance Duomo (Cathedral) were completed only in 1588. The work of the square is no longer as it was a Recent discoveries under the cathe- required enormous expense and the few centuries ago. Bramante’s frescoes dral have revealed the presence of appearance of the city and the hill have all but disappeared and only a part another two much older churches, changed definitively. To make way for has been restored. Even the façade of both of large dimensions, which fol- the fortification, almost a third of the Palazzo della Ragione, which dates low the perimeter of the current build- houses were knocked down, one of the back to the thirteenth century, has lost ing: a palaeo-Christian cathedral and most important monasteries, the San numerous coats of arms of Bergamo’s a Romanesque cathedral dedicated Domenico Monastery, was demolished, rectors and “podestà” which previously to San Vincenzo. Both buildings ap- and an entire quarter, San Lorenzo, decorated the façade. The lion of St. pear to have been magnificent and which was crossed by the road leading Mark, which dominates above the central richly decorated, as the remains of Battistero (Baptistery) to the Brembana Valley, was razed to balcony, was a symbol of Venetian domi- seventh-century mosaic flooring and the ground. Four gates were built along nation for 350 years. Destroyed in 1797 fourteenth-century frescoes testify. Fourteenth-century statues depicting the the walls, which extend for almost with the arrival of the French, the current The current Duomo was built at the Virtues can be found in narrow niches on six kilometres, each corresponding to marble lion is a copy donated by the city end of the fifteenth century and the the sides of the octagonal building, in the the main roads of communication with of Venice in 1933. The arcade beneath architect Filarete contributed to the upper band of red Verona marble perfo- the surrounding area and other cities: the old municipal building acts like a initial phase of the work. Finished at rated with small columns. The baptismal Sant’Agostino Gate, with its beautiful filter between Piazza Vecchia, where civil the end of the seventeenth century, font is located inside, while in one niche marble fountain, situated on the road to power was concentrated, and Piazza del the cathedral was dedicated to S. a statue of St. John the Baptist is the Brescia and Venice; San Giacomo Gate, Duomo, the symbol of Episcopal power. Alessandro. The final appearance of work of the same Giovanni da Campione, on the road to Milano; Sant’Alessandro The Cathedral, the Basilica of Santa the building however was completed who also created the exquisite marble Gate, on the road to Lecco and Como; Maria Maggiore, the Colleoni Chapel only in the nineteenth century with bas-reliefs depicting episodes from the San Lorenzo Gate, on the new road (the only secular presence - to a certain the construction of the dome; the life of Jesus. to the Brembana Valley and Valtellina extent), the Baptistery and the Bishop’s façade dates back to 1866. It houses Open only for baptisms. (inaugurated in 1593). Palace overlook this beautiful square. works by Gian Battista Tiepolo, Gio- Info: tel. +39 035 210223. 10 UPPER BERGAMO HISTORICAL CENTRE 11

Basilica OF Santa Maria Maggiore 1. Colleoni Chapel; inside, eighteenth-century frescoes by Tiepolo With its rich historical and artistic heritage the Basilica is the most 2. Northern portal with the column-bearing lions important building in the city, and it was once held in such esteem that 3. Florentine and Flemish tapestries, the tomb of Gaetano Donizetti, it was known as the “Chapel of the city”. When it was decided to build the Baroque confessional by Fantoni the church, partly to fulfil a vow made during an outbreak of the Black 4. The marquetry panels and wooden cross Death, the people of Bergamo chose a centrally located and easily 5. The portal by Giovanni da Campione accessed position on the site of the small church of Santa Maria. 6. Central apse Work began in 1137 according to the project of a little-known 7. Baroque decoration “Master Frido”, whose effigy it is thought is represented by the bust of a bearded man which appears above the apse. The church, once used for baptisms, also served as a hall for civic assemblies. Towards the middle of the fourteenth century, Giovanni da Campione was given the task of building a monumental portal on the north side. He designed a porch supported by red marble lions, completed by a three-sided log- gia featuring a statue of St. Alexander on horseback, to which a cusped tabernacle was added at the end of the century. The south porch is instead supported by white marble lions. The magnificent Romanesque interior, which should have been painted all over with frescoes - as certain parts testify - was later transformed by sumptuous Baroque decorations. Over the centuries the “Consorzio della Misericordia Maggiore” (Consortium of the Maggiore Misericordia) enriched the Basilica with amazing works of art. Of particular interest are the spectacular marquetry panels in the choir created between 1522 and 1555 from drawing by Lorenzo Lotto, and 7 the Baroque confessional by Andrea Fantoni. Opening hours: from November to March 9.00-12.30/14.30- 17.00; Sunday and public holidays 9.00-12.45/15.00-18.00. From April to October 9.00-12.30/14.30-18.00; 3 1 Sunday and public holidays 9.00-12.45/15.00-18.00. There is no admittance during services 6 (weekday Mass: 7.45; 10.00 / Sunday Mass: 11.00; 12.00). Info: tel. +39 035 223327.

CAPPELLA COLLEONI (COLLEONI CHAPEL) 4 The famous condottiero, Bartolomeo Colleoni, did not hesitate in demolishing an apse of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to build his own tomb. Once he had chosen one of the most prestigious locations in the city, he commissioned (1470-1472) one of 5 the best-known artists of the time, Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, to create a work which is today considered a masterpiece of Lom- bard art, and not just of the Renaissance period. In the cramped area of Piazza del 2 Duomo, the façade, with exuberant decorative and chromatic power, seems to be vying for attention with the sumptuous decorations of the Basilica. Opening hours: from November to February 9.00-12.30/14.00-16.30; from March to October 9.00-12.30/14.30-18.00; from November to March closed Monday. Info: tel. +39 035 210061. 12 UPPER BERGAMO HISTORICAL CENTRE 13

PALAZZO DEL Podestà on Bergamo. A fortress was originally It features many native, exotic, Mediter- (Palace of the Chief built on the hill of San Giovanni (where ranean, aquatic and carnivorous plants, magistrate or Governor) the Seminary stands today), to which a and offers a beautiful view over Città Alta Originally the residence of the Suardi- large building (“Hospitium Magnum”) (Upper Bergamo). Piazza Mascheroni lies Colleoni families (from whom it derives the was added, to be used for the garrison, between the Cittadella and the houses name of “Domus Suardorum”), the Palazzo armoury and storerooms. This complex of the historical centre. Dominated by the del Podestà was the seat of the Podestà was used however more for guarding Torre della Campanella (Small Bell Tower) (Chief magistrate or Governor) and various the city than for defending it against with clock and unusual Slav-influenced municipal functions from the beginning external enemies. The Cittadella then cusps, the square dates back to 1520 of the thirteenth century to the first half became the residence of the Venetian when, under the name of Piazza Nova, of the sixteenth century. It is connected military commander but its large rooms it was built as a centre for commercial by a footbridge to the adjacent Palazzo Teatro Sociale (Theatre of Society) continued to be used to store cereals and activities. Trading took place under a della Ragione, in which, during restoration as a warehouse. Under the French and loggia which was later incorporated in work after the devastating fire of 1513, the Teatro Sociale Austrians, its military use continued, but an eighteenth-century building. A marble architect Pietro Isabello created a single (Theatre of Society) the building began to decay progressively. well-curb sits over a well in the centre of magnificent room, which became known In the spring of 2009, two centuries after It underwent renovation work between the square. It is supplied by water from as the Sala delle Capriate. Utilised in dif- its inauguration in 1808, the Teatro Sociale 1958 and 1960, during which time part of a large cistern which was built after reopened to the public with a rich calendar the building was restored to its original construction of the walls to guarantee of shows and performances by great art- state. It today houses the Enrico Caffi abundant water reserves in case of siege. ists. This was made possible thanks to Museum of Natural Sciences and the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali En- exemplary restoration work carried out on Civic Archaeological Museum. rico Caffi(Enrico Caffi Civic Museum this exquisite building. The theatre was The Museum of Natural Sciences is of Natural Sciences) designed by Leopoldo Pollack, a pupil of noted for its extremely old fossils, in- Opening hours: October to March from Piermarini, who rose to great fame after cluding that of a 700,000 year old deer Tuesday to Sunday 9.00-12.30/14.30- building the Arch of Peace in Milan and discovered in 2001 in Val Borlezza, and 17.30. April to September from Tuesday to the Villa Reale in Monza. On the initiative one of the oldest flying reptiles ever found, Friday 9.00-12.30/14.30-18.00; Saturday of a group of aristocrats who formed a dating back to approximately 220 million and Sunday 9.00-19.00. “society”, Pollack used an area occupied years ago, discovered in a quarry in Cene Info: tel. +39 035 286011. by a part of the Venetian Palazzo del in the Seriana Valley. Museo Civico Archeologico (Civic Podestà destroyed by fire. The new thea- The Archaeological Museum preserves Archaeological Museum) tre provided 1300 seats, with 88 boxes ar- discoveries from Bergamo and Bergamo Opening hours: October to March from ranged in three rows and a gallery which province dating from prehistoric times Tuesday to Sunday 9.00-12.30/14.30- were elegantly decorated by local artists to the late Middle Ages. Frescos from a 17.30; April to September from Tuesday to (Bonomini and Querena). The theatre ran Domus Romana, found in via Arena in Friday 9.00-12.30/14.30-18.00, Saturday successfully for several decades until, Upper Bergamo are of particular interest. and Sunday 9.00-19.00. having entered into competition with the The Lorenzo Rota Botanical Garden is Info: tel. +39 035 242839. Riccardi Theatre (the current Donizetti), located short distance from the Cittadella, Orto Botanico Lorenzo Rota (Lorenzo which was preferred because of its lo- alongside a Venetian powder magazine. Rota Botanical Garden) Palazzo del Podestà cation on the plain, it began to decline Opening hours: March and October in popularity; it was however used for 9.00-12.00/14.00-17.00. April to Sep- ferent ways under Venetian domination operas until 1929. It closed definitively tember 9.00-12.00/14.00-18.00; Saturday and Austrian rule, during the last century, after World War II, and began decaying Sunday and public holidays 9.00-19.00. the Palazzo del Podestà became used to such a degree that little hope remained Closed from November to February. for purposes which were not in keeping of it ever being restored to its original Info: tel. +39 035 286060. with its historical importance. During theatrical vocation. The “miracle” instead Address: Scaletta di Colle Aperto. restoration and renovation work lasting did happen and Upper Bergamo is now fifteen years carried out by the Municipal able to offer a genuine theatre. Museo Donizettiano Authority, extremely important disco- Info: contact the IAT Tourist Offices (see (DONIZETTI MUSEUM) veries were made regarding the history page 19). Before visiting this museum we suggest of the city. Beneath the building Roman Address: Via Bartolomeo Colleoni. walking down Via Donizetti to see the remains and structures were uncovered, plaque on the front of the noble Scotti including a mighty wall and the remains of Cittadella (CITADEL) family residence, which states that the workshops, which enabled the definitive The Cittadella is the remaining part great composer died here in 1848, and location of the area on which the Roman of a fortification built by the Visconti visiting Donizetti’s tomb in the Basilica of Forum stood to be determined. family when they imposed their rule Entrance to the Archaeological Museum Santa Maria Maggiore. 14 FROM UPPER BERGAMO TO LOWER BERGAMO 15

The museum is housed in Palazzo della damage. The great church was used as and was later fitted out as the Museum tower. The fortification was extended and Misericordia, which overlooks Via Arena, a storehouse and today only the frescoed of the Risorgimento. Today, the building’s transformed by the Venetians who added one of the most striking streets of the old apse remains. Between 1935 and 1939 vocation as a museum has remained un- four round towers at the same time as town. It is located in front of the Church the convent underwent radical restoration changed although in the wider context of they built the walls. A funicular runs from and Monastery of Santa Grata where a and rebuilding work to transform it into theMuseo Storico (Historical Museum) and Città Alta (Upper Bergamo) to the top of community of Benedictine nuns live in a school. Currently the former monastery with a different layout. San Vigilio hill, from where it is possible seclusion. The largest Baroque building in houses the city’s Historical Museum. Opening hours: June to September from to explore the extraordinary surrounding Bergamo, it assumed its current appear- Opening hours: June to September from Tuesday to Friday 9.30-13.00/14.00-17.30; area. Buildings of great importance, such ance in the seventeenth century; inside, Tuesday to Friday 9.30-13.00/14.00-17.30; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays as the old monasteries of Astino and however, it preserves a fifteenth-century Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 9.30-19.00. October to May from Tuesday Valmarina, are found among the villas, courtyard. The museum is located in a 9.30-19.00. October to May from Tuesday to Sunday 9.30-13.00/14.00-17.30. old farmsteads converted in delightful vast room on the first floor, which is - el to Sunday 9.30-13.00/14.00-17.30. Info: tel. +39 035 221040. residences, garden and vegetable gar- egantly decorated by Vincenzo Bonomini. Info: tel. +39 035 247116. dens, little valleys and wooded prom- It displays relics of the great musician, FLIGHTS OF STEPS ontories. The hills, which are protected who composed more than 70 works, in- ROCCA (FORTRESS) The flights of steps in Bergamo have the and valorised by the Parco Regionale cluding Elisir d’Amore (1832) and Lucia According to certain theories regarding names of “Paradiso”, “Santa Lucia Vec- dei Colli di Bergamo (Regional Park of di Lammermoor (1835), as well as docu- the layout of Roman Bergamo, the Campi- chia” “More”, “Ortolano”, “Fontanabrolo”, the Hills of Bergamo) cover an area of ments, mementoes and portraits; a piano doglio (Capitol) was located on the hill of “San Martino”, “Scorlazzino” and “Scor- approximately four thousand hectares is among the most valuable items. Santa Eufemia. When the city came under lazzone”. There are about ten flights of and feature recently built cycle paths for To complete this Donizetti itinerary we exploring the area. The head office of suggest a short walk outside the gates the Park Authority is located in the old along Borgo Canale, which once mean- monastery of Valmarina. dered between the vegetable gardens Info: tel. +39 035 4530400. on the other side of the walls. The house where Gaetano Donizetti was born in 1797 Accademia Carrara AND Gamec to a very poor family is at no. 14. (MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY Opening hours: June to September from ART GALLERY) Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays An extraordinary story of passion for cul- 9.30-13.00/14.00-17.30; October to May ture and the arts lies behind the founda- from Tuesday to Friday 9.30-13.00; Sat- tion of the Accademia Carrara. It was urday, Sunday and public holidays 9.30- The Fontanabrolo steps the idea of Count Giacomo Carrara to es- 13.00/14.00-17.30. tablish the Art Gallery, to which he gave Info: tel. +39 035 4284769. steps and alleyways that climb the sides his all. Unfortunately he did not get to The Rocca (Fortress) of Bergamo hill. These are what is left of see his dream come true because he died EX CONVENTO DI SAN FRANCESCO the dense network of medieval connec- before it was completed in 1810. Built in (FORMER CONVENT OF the control of the Signoria, thus putting tions between the plain and the hill and neoclassic style on the design of Simone SAN FRANCESCO) an end to the free Commune, King John the routes into the once numerous fields Accessed from Piazza Mercato del Fieno, of Bohemia commissioned a fortress to and vegetable plots. Flanked by dry stone which was once much smaller, the mon- be built on the site. This area, which in walls or hedges, a walk along these routes astery of San Francesco was the largest medieval times was defended by a tower reveals previously unseen views of the and most important religious complex in or castle, was strengthened by the Visconti Upper Town and across the plain. These the medieval city, and was the object of and then by the Venetians who erected a flights of steps and alleyways are perfect donations and bequests. Established in round keep in the middle of the fifteenth for visitors who wish to take a peaceful the thirteenth century and completed in century. After the walls were built, the country walk or a romantic stroll. Among the sixteenth century, it features two large fortress became an arsenal and housed the the most accessible are those that descend cloisters. The first cloister is also known first gunpowder factory. Partly transformed from Borgo Canale. as the sarcophagus cloister (delle arche) into an elegant residence by the French, because it features nineteen thirteenth- under the Austrians it housed a barracks THE HILLS century tombs of local families, while the and then a prison. When the Municipality Bergamo sits on the last offshoots of second, also known as the well cloister purchased the complex, in 1927-28, it un- a hill system that extends from east to (del pozzo), offers a beautiful view towards derwent radical restoration work. Initially, west for about six kilometres, beneath the Orobie mountains. Suppressed at the the building was turned into the Scuola dei the undulating peaks of Orobie moun- beginning of the nineteenth century and Bombardieri (Bombardiers School); it then tains. In the thirteenth century a castle later transformed into a barracks and then housed antique relics which were trans- was built on the highest point above a prison, the complex suffered serious ferred to the Archaeological Museum, the city, possibly on the site of a Roman Andrea Mantegna, Madonna with Child 16 LOWER BERGAMO City CENTRE 17

Elia, the Accademia Carrara possesses museum tour is divided into chapters and THE WORKS OF Lorenzo Lotto Magdalene which was painted around nearly two thousand paintings, collec- themes which offer the visitor the opportu- Bergamo is home to numerous works of art the mid-sixteenth century by Giovanni tions of sculptures and rich archives of nity to discover extraordinary artefacts that by the great Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto, Battista Guarinoni d’Averara. The church drawings and prints, making it one of the are closely linked to the history of Bergamo who spent twelve intensely active years in can be visited with a guided tour or during most important galleries in Italy. Some of and the Church ni Bergamo. the town. The churches of San Bartolomeo conventions and events. the best-known artists displayed include Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30- on the Sentierone and Santo Spirito in the Info: contact the Tourist OfficeI AT (see Titian, Raphael, Tiepolo, Mantegna, Belli- 12.30/15.00-18.30. piazza of the same name, both in Lower page 19). ni, Botticelli, Lotto, Canaletto and Guardi, Info: tel. +39 035 248772. Bergamo, feature two splendid altarpieces Address: Via S. Alessandro, 39/b. and numerous works that testify the age- Address: Via Pignolo, 76. which were created during this time. old relationship with Venice. GAMeC, These are two large paintings with the Spazio Viterbi (VITERBI ROOMS) the Modern and Contemporary Art Porta Nuova same subject: Madonna and Child with PALAZZO DELLA PROVINCIA Galley, can be found on the other side The wide-set buildings of Porta Nuova, Saints (the painting in San Bartolomeo is (PROVINCIAL AUTHORITY of the road from the Carrara building, in in the heart of modern Bergamo, is actu- also known as Pala Martinengo). Another BUILDING) two former convents. Designed by Vittorio ally a gate that was built when it became beautiful altarpiece, also depicting the The nineteenth-century Provincial Gregotti and inaugurated in 1991, the Gal- necessary to make a wide opening in the Madonna and Child with Saints, is found Authority Building features not only lery has an exhibition area of 1,500 square medieval walls of the “Muraine”. This was in the small church of San Bernardino in numerous interesting sculptures by metres dedicated to contemporary art in carried out in conjunction with the inau- via Pignolo. A cycle of frescoes by Lorenzo Giacomo Manzù in the courtyard and all its forms, and also offers temporary guration of “Strada Ferdinandea” (today Lotto can be found in the Chapel of the along the large entrance stairway, but exhibitions and educational and cultural Viale Vittorio Emanuele) in 1838 and, for Church of Our Lady in San Michele al Pozzo also exhibitions of the artistic heritage activities. The heart of the museum is the the occasion, two Neoclassical buildings, Bianco in Città Alta (Upper Bergamo). of the Province of Bergamo, which are Manzù collection, made up of sculptures, or propilaea, were built on either side to displayed in the large rooms that were paintings, drawings and etchings of the house the tollhouse. The new gate and created on the fourth floor after the great artis from Bergamot. The Raccolta the surrounding gardens were designed to building was meticulously restored. Spajani (Spajani Collection) has forty or complement the beautiful views of Città The area covers more than two so works of masters from the 20th cen- Alta (Upper Bergamo). Later on the road thousand square metres, half of which tury, and the Stucchi Collection preserves was extended down to the railway station is dedicated to the exhibition area and the works of Italian and European artists which opened in 1857. the remaining part to the promotion from the fifties.T he Gallery also displays of cultural events, conferences and works by contemporary artists such as TEATRO DONIZETTI workshops involving the arts, culture, Alviani, Basilico, Garutti and Cattelan. (DONIZETTI THEATRE) social life and associations. It is a place The Accademia Carrara will remain Named after the great composer on the oc- that is “open” to the territory, which closed for extensive renovation work casion of celebrations commemorating the has become a reference point for the until the end of 2011, but a selection of centenary of his birth in 1897, the Donizetti Bergamo community. In 2007 this new the works are on display in the Palazzo Theatre stands on the area where, during area was named after the scientist from della Ragione building in Upper Bergamo. the old Saint Alessandro fair, performances Bergamo Andrea Viterbi. Info: tel. +39 035 399677. were held on a wooden make-shift stage Info: tel. +39 035 387111; +39 035 387604. Address: Piazza Giacomo Carrara, 82. that was erected and dismantled each Madonna and Child with Saints www.provincia.bergamo.it Gamec. Opening hours: Tuesday to year. In 1786 the entrepreneur Bortolo Ric- in the San Bernardino Church [email protected] Sunday for the permanent exhibition cardi built a permanent theatre, the plan of Address: Via Tasso, 8. 10.00-13.00/15.00-19.00, variable open- which was maintained throughout the vari- EX CHIESA DELLA MADDALENA ing hours for the temporary exhibitions. ous renovations and facelifts. The façade, (FORMER CHURCH OF THE Via XX Settembre Info: tel. +39 035 270272. - www.gamec.it designed by architect Pietro Via, was built MADDALENA) Previously known as Contrada di Prato, Address: Via San Tomaso, 53. in 1897 and, at the same centenary celebra- On the edge of the main shopping area, this street connects the Sentierone tion, a monument to Donizetti surrounded the former church of Maddalena (Mary (where the ancient Saint Alessandro Museo diocesano d’arte sacra by a pond and garden was inaugurated. In Magdalene) is a small gem of fourteenth- fair was once held) with Borgo San Adriano Bernareggi 1934 the theatre became the property of century architecture which has been clev- Leonardo, which many years ago was (ADRIANO bernareggi DIOCESAN the Municipality of Bergamo. Among the erly restored. It was opened in 1336 by the heart of commerce and trade of the MUSEUM OF SACRED ART) many performances it offers, the Donizetti the brotherhood of the “Disciplini Bianchi town and surrounding area. Here, mer- The sixteenth-century Bassi Rathgeb build- Theatre hosts prestigious events such as di Maria Maddalena” as the church to chandise from the port of Venice was ing, which was donated to the Diocese, the Bergamo Jazz Festival, the Arturo Bene- an adjoining hospital. After the hospital stored in the warehouses of the district, houses the museum, which was named af- detti Michelangeli International Piano Fes- was closed, the church was used for which then in turn travelled on to Milan ter Mons. Adriano Bernareggi, the Bishop tival of Bergamo and the Gaetano Donizetti various purposes and even ran the risk or Valtellina. Today, Via XX Settembre of Bergamo, who collected works of art, Music Festival of Bergamo. of being demolished. The restoration together with Via Sant’Alessandro and cult images and church relics from the Info: tel. +39 035 4160611. work uncovered original frescoes, includ- Via Sant’Orsola are pedestrianised and Thirties onwards of the XXth century. The Address: Piazza Cavour, 15. ing a cycle depicting the life of Mary at the heart of city’s shopping area. 18 BERGAMO TraNsport AND USEFUL INFORMATION 19

HOW TO GET HERE station and ticket office is located in Piazza ATB Point Tourist Guides AGIAT Marconi next to the train station. Largo Porta Nuova Tel. +39 035 0601917 By air Tel. +39 035 236026 www.bergamotourguides.eu The International Airport of Orio al Serio Regione Lombardia www.atb.bergamo.it “Bergamo su & giù” is just 5 km from Bergamo and 45 km from www.trasporti.regione.lombardia.it Tourist Guides Assoc. Milan. It is connected to many Italian Trasporti NET Nord Est company Bergamo by bike Tel. +39 346 8122006 and European destinations, and is known Free phone: 800-90.51.50 (7 days a week The city and province of Bergamo www.visitbergamo.info for its large number of low-cost airlines. from 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.). offer itineraries of striking beauty. For Guides not registered The Airport Bus service runs daily to and www.nordesttrasporti.it Cycle path information: with associations from the airport every 30 minutes and the Autostradale www.comune.bergamo.it www.provincia.bergamo.it/turismo journey takes about 20 minutes. Tel. +39 02 33910794 / +39 035 318472 page Infomobilità www.autostradale.it; www.busitalia.it A.RI.BI: www.aribi.it OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS Bergamo Airport, Orio al Serio SAB-SAV-ZANI “Italia in bici” Via Aeroporto 13, Orio al Serio Tel. 800 139393 (for land lines only) website: www.italiainbici.it Comune di Bergamo Tel. +39 035 326323 Tel. +39 035 289000 (for mobile phones) Bike Sharing: Bike rental. purchased from (Bergamo City hall) www.orioaeroporto.it. ADDA TRASPORTI - AUTOGUIDOVIE the ATB infopoint in Porta Nuova, you can Piazza Matteotti, 27 Free phone: 840 620000 “borrow” a bike from one of the Bergamo’s Tel. +39 035 399111 By car Tel. +39 0373 204012 bike stations and drop it off at another. The www.comune.bergamo.it The Bergamo exit is on the A4 Milan- SAI procedure is simple and fully automated. Assessorato alla Cultura e Turismo Venice motorway. It is advisable to park Tel. +39 0363 397250/255 www.atb.bergamo.it della Provincia di Bergamo your car in Bergamo Bassa (Lower Ber- www.saiautolinee.it www.bicincitta.com (Council for Culture and Tourism gamo) and use public transport to reach LOCATELLI-TBSO Tel. 800 910.658 (Free phone). for the Province of Bergamo) Bergamo Alta (Upper Bergamo) Tel. +39 035 319366 It is also possible to rent bicycles from: Via Borgo Santa Caterina, 19 www.autoservizilocatelli.it Ciclostazione dei colli Tel. +39 035 387604 By train TEB (Colli bike station) www.provincia.bergamo.it Bergamo railway station is directly con- Tel. + 39 035 226667 Ciclostazione 42 [email protected] TION nected to Milan, Lecco and Brescia (with www.teb.bergamo.it www.pedalopolis.org TION connections for Lake Garda, Verona, and EMERGENCIES AND HOSPITALS Venice). The journey times for Milan- HOW TO GET AROUND Taxi Bergamo and Brescia-Bergamo are ap- Radio Taxi: Tel. +39 035 4519090 Ospedali Riuniti (Hospital) – Bergamo proximately one hour; the journey from By car P.le Marconi-Stazione: Largo Barozzi, 1 Lecco to Bergamo takes about 40 minutes. Bergamo has a large area that is closed to Tel. +39 035 244505 Tel. +39 035 269111 (switchboard) Trains depart almost every hour. The sta- traffic around the main shopping streets Via Sentierone: Tel. +39 035 242000 www.ospedaliriuniti.bergamo.it tion is located in Lower Bergamo and is (Largo Belotti, via XX Settembre, Largo Rez- Chauffeur-driven cars can be hired from: Guardia Medica - Bergamo connected to Città Alta (Upper Bergamo) zara, via Sant’Alessandro), while in Upper Aclass: Tel. +39 035 314545 (Out-of-hours Medical Service) by bus, which departs about every 10 Bergamo this area covers almost the entire www.aclass.it Via Croce Rossa, 2 - Tel. +39 035 4555111 minutes. old city. On Sundays and public holidays, Airport Car Service: Health emergency 118 Città Alta is closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to Tel. +39 035 3844411 Bergamo Railway Station noon and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and in the www.aircarservice.com SOS Piazza Guglielmo Marconi summer months this restriction also extends Tel. +39 035 247950 to Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. TOURIST SERVICES Carabinieri 112 Trenitalia State Police 113 Tel. 89 20 21 (call center) Municipal Police I.A.T. Tourist Office Lower Bergamo Fire Services 115 www.trenitalia.com Via Coghetti 10 - Tel. +39 035 399559 Piazzale Marconi (near the Station) Road assistance 803116 Tel. +39 035 210204 Traffic Police: Tel. +39 035 276300 By bus By public transport [email protected] Municipal Police: Tel. +39 035 399559 The journey from Milan Lampugnano, Ca- ATB (Bergamo’s public transport company) www.comune.bergamo.it dorna and Piazza Castello to Bergamo Bus runs the urban bus services and funicular I.A.T. Tourist Office Upper Bergamo THEATRES Station with the Trasporti NET Nord Est railway between Lower and Upper Bergamo Via Gombito, 13 (Gombito tower) company takes about one hour with smooth and between Upper Bergamo and San Tel. +39 035 242226 Teatro Donizetti flowing traffic conditions. The connection Vigilio. Special priced tickets are available [email protected] Piazza Cavour, 15 from Milan Cadorna, Central Station and for tourists. The no. 1 bus starts at the railway www.comune.bergamo.it Tel. +39 035 4160611 Lampugnano to the Orio al Serio Bergamo station and travels up to upper Bergamo. The Turismo Bergamo www.teatrodonizetti.it airport is run by Autostradale and the jour- funicular railway can also be used to reach Orio al Serio Airport ney time is about one hour with smooth Città Alta (Upper Bergamo). The journey in arrivals area Teatro Sociale flowing traffic conditions. For both compa- only takes a few minutes, passing through a Tel. +39 035 320402 Via Bartolomeo Colleoni nies, buses depart approximately every 30 tunnel in the outer Venetian wall and arriving [email protected] Info: contact the I.A.T. Tourist Office minutes. It is advisable to estimate a travel in the heart of the old city, in Piazza Mercato www.turismo.bergamo.it time of 2 hours as there is often intense delle Scarpe. Visitors wishing to reach the Gruppo Guide “Città di Bergamo” Creberg Teatro Bergamo traffic. There are other public transport top of San Viglio Hill can use the panoramic (Bergamo City Guides) Via Pizzo della Presolana companies operating between Bergamo funicular which begins near San Alessandro Tel. +39 035 344205 Tel. +39 035 343251 and other towns in the province. The bus Gate (just outside Colle Aperto). www.bergamoguide.it www.teatrocreberg.com T raNsp o r t A ND U S EFU L I NFO RMA T raNsp o r t A ND U S EFU L I NFO RMA september 2009 edition