|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The old town in Bergamo is located up on a hill which is protected by fortifications. It is 51km to Milan, situated in the northeast of the city.
It can easily be reached by train or by car through the Autostrada Serenissima. During the 12th century Bergamo was an independent city-state (comune). After 1329 it fell into Visconti control. For 350 years it belonged to Venetian Empire. Therefore there are many Venetian lion statues in the city.
Bergamo is divided into two as Città Alta and Città Bassa. Città Alta is located on a hill and Città Bassa is spreads across the plains below.
Città Bassa: The centre of the town is the Piazza Matteotti. There are many cafés in the centre and the Teatro Donizetti. The theatre is named after a famous opera composer who was born in Bergamo. There is also an art gallery called Pinacoteca dell’Academia Carrara which is within an old palace in Via San Tomaso. The art gallery exhibits the works by Botticelli, Bellini and Titian. It is open between 09:30am and 12:30pm and from 14:30 to 17:30. Admission is free on Sundays.
Città Alta: From the Viale Vittorio Emanuele II you reach to the lower station of the railway which takes you up to the centre of Città Alta. Piazza Vecchia is surrounded by medieval and Renaissance buildings. In the centre of the square there is a fountain protected by Venetian lions.
The 12th century 52m high Torre Civica has a panoramic view over Bergamo. At the end of the piazza there’s the 12th century Palazzo della Ragione. The arches under the palace lead to the smaller Piazza Duomo and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore which is one of the finest Romanesque churches in northern Italy.
On the other side of the basilica there located the Colleoni Chapel dating back to th 1470s which was designed by Amadeo. The chapel is open between 9am and 12:30pm and from 14:00 to 18:30. It is closed on Mondays.
Civic Archaeology Museum, Natural History Museum, botanical garden and two small museums devoted to Donizetti are among the worthseeing attractions in the city.
|
|
|
|
|
|
