Things to Do and See in Bergamo

Bergamo, the capital of the province of the same name, is divided into the Upper Town and the Lower Town. Upper Bergamo is the historic heart of the city and overlooks the entire Bergamo region: the layout of its streets has preserved the ancient appearance of a medieval village, enclosed by walls built by the Venetians in the 16th century. The historical and tourist attractions are located in the oldest part of the city, including the two ancient squares: one is Piazza Vecchia, the city’s central hub, where the medieval Palazzo della Ragione stands; the other is the small Piazza del Duomo, home to religious buildings such as the Cathedral, the Romanesque Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and, next to it, the Renaissance Colleoni Chapel. Also not to be missed are the Accademia Carrara, one of Italy’s leading art galleries, and the Donizetti Theater, dedicated to Bergamo’s most illustrious citizen, Gaetano Donizetti. The new urban and commercial development has sprung up at the foot of the ancient fortifications, in the area known as Bergamo Bassa; here the Porta Nuova neighborhood dominates with its three main squares (Piazza Matteotti, Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and Piazza Dante), all of which were built in the first half of the 20th century by Marcello Piacentini. In the rest of the province, we recommend visiting the churches, particularly San Tomè, a Romanesque gem located in Almenno San Bartolomeo, and Santa Barbara, which houses an important cycle of frescoes by Lorenzo Lotto in Trescore Balneario. Among the secular buildings, the Castle of Cavernago is worth noting—an imposing defensive structure converted into a noble residence. Finally, don’t miss the late-19th-century workers’ village of Crespi d’Adda, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and considered the best-preserved and most complete workers’ village in Southern Europe.