Piazza Vecchia

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

La Cappella Colleoni

Le mura venete

Piazza Vecchia - Bergamo Alta

Piazza Vecchia is the symbol of the city. Built in ‘300, it reaches its actual structure during the Venetian domination. On the southern side of the square faces the Palazzo della Ragione, that is the symbol of the Communal Age; on the right side the Civic Tower (XII-XV) rises, well known as Il Campanone, and here there is also the antique Domus Suardorum (XIV-XV), that now it’s the seat of the University of Bergamo. The northern side of the square is enclosed within a Palace of ‘600 with a façade of white marble. Built as seat of the Town Hall, today this structure hosts the Public Library “A. Maj” that holds about 500.000 volumes and preserves a precious “Tasso Collection”. The elegant Fountain, donated by the Venetian “podestà”, Alvise Contarini (XVIII), completes the spectacular view of the square. 

Behind the Palazzo della Ragione, there is the Piazzetta del Duomo, where appear monuments of great relevance. The Duomo, designed by Filarete, was modified many times during the centuries. The decoration of the interiors was completed only at the end of ‘800. Precious artistic pieces are the Chapel of the Crucifix, that preserves a crucifix of ‘500 and the apse, where seven great canvases, out of all the Martirio di S.Giovanni Episcopo (S. Giovanni Episcopo’s Martyrdom), a work of G.B.Tiepolo can be found. On Piazzetta Duomo, a marble polychrome porch with polychromatic lions by Giovanni da Campione, signals the access to the Basilica di S.Maria Maggiore (XII). Inside, precious tapestries, a baroque confessional by Andrea Fantoni, Gaetano Donizetti grave and his Master Simone Mayr. Of great value are the iconostases in carved and inlaid wood executed in the XIV, following Lorenzo Lotto drawings, by G.F. Capoferri and Giovanni Belli. Adjacent to the Basilica, the Cappella Colleoni (XV). Realized on G.B Amadeo project, this Chapel is the mausoleum of the famous condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The polychrome marble façade connects the porch of the Basilica and the rich decoration, while it records the adventurous life of the “condottiero”, represents a magnificent example of Lombardy Renaissance. Beside the Cappella Colleoni, a flight of steps leads to the access of the Curia Vescovile. Once one crossed the Aula della Curia, a room with splendid frescoes (XI-XII), there is a courtyard, where, in its center, one finds the Tempietto di S.Croce (S.Croce Temple) built in XI and changed in ‘500. The last building that decorates Piazzetta Duomo is the Baptistery. Built in 1340 by G. da Campione as the baptismal basin for the Basilica, it was rebuilt, after various journeys and manipulations, in the place where now it is placed. The interior presents interesting high-relieves representing the life of Christ. The baptismal source and the S.Giovanni sculpture were realized by G. da Campione. 

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - Bergamo Alta

Situated in the heart of the upper town, Basilica di S. Maria Maggiore is considered the most important monument of the town

Piazza Duomo - Sacristy tel. 035/22.33.27. Free entrance
Opening times: from 1/11 to 31/3 from Monday to Friday: 9a.m-12.30a.m; 2:30p.m – 5p.m. Saturday: 9a.m-12.30a.m and 2.30p.m-6p.m Sunday and Public Holidays 9.00a.m-12.45a.m and 3p.m – 6.pm
from 1 April to 31 October: 9a.m.-12.30a.m. and 2.30a.m-6p.m everyday.
SS. Mass: working days: 10a.m. Public Holidays: 11.00a.m e 12.00a.m.(Visits aren’t allowed during the celebrations)
After the mass of the 7.30a.m the basilica is closed till 9p.m.
How to reach the upper town:
from Piazzale Marconi (Train/Coach/Bus Station) and from Porta Nuova
by bus 1 + funicolar or bus 1A to Colle Aperto
by car: V.le Papa Giovanni XXIII - V.le V. Emanuele - Porta S. Agostino - Viale delle mura.

La Cappella Colleoni - Bergamo Alta

The Cappella Colleoni was built in 1472 when Bartolomeo Colleoni, famous “condottiero” of the Serenissima and Captain of the Venetian army, decided to build his own mausoleum. Colleoni made demolished by his soldiers the sacristy of S. Maria Maggiore, in spite of the refuse of the canonical people of the basilica.

A cultured and modern man, Colleoni designed a monument that, placed in the heart of the urban space, would have determined new perspectives (for this reason since 1474 the demolition of the Palazzo della Ragione was established. The achievement of the project was in charge of Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, sculpture-architect that was engaged with the great project of the Certosa di Pavia. Anyway, the task was very complicated: he had to organize a sacred space that would have preserved the Captain bare, that would have been apt to the sacred celebrations and that would have found at least a formal harmony with the basilica beside it. Thus, the octagonal tambour of the chapel and the pointed pinnacle of the lantern refer to the fanciful end of the basilica, while the exuberant polychromy of the façade recalls, for the colours and the materials, the portal of the basilica by Giovanni da Campione of the fourteenth-century.

The intellectual interests of Colleoni meet and integrate the availability to the figurative experience by giving life to the Colleoni Chapel: an unique work, made of strictness, transgression, refinements and exhibitionism. (Walter Barbero)” .

In the interior, the Colleoni monumental grave presents two overlapped sarcophagi inserted in a triumphal arch, a re-elaboration of the monumental gothic graves whose characters, that belong more distinctly to the Renaissance are in any case recognizable in the bas relieves and in the sculptures, a testimony of the extraordinary plastic capacities of Amadeo. In the second sarcophagus, a wooden equestrian statue of Colleoni  by Sisto and Siry da Norimberga (1501). In the cupola, in the lunette of the vault, splendid frescoes of G.B. Tiepolo (1733) that represent the Virtue and some episodes of the life of S. Giovanni Battista.
On the left wall the Tomb of Medea, preferred daughter of Colleoni, work of Amadeo; on the front a high relief, the Pietà (1470). Below: wooden bench containing biblical inlay by G.Caniana (1785). In the presbytery, the altar by B. Manni (1676) by L.Pollsk; in the lunette the Martirio di S. Bartolomeo (S .Bartolomeo Martyrdom) by G.B. Tiepolo and S. Marco Evangelista by Tiepolo. On the walls: the Sacra Famiglia (Sacred Family)  by M.A. Kauffmann; wooden pews with carvings by G.A Sanz and biblical marquetries by Caniana (1773)

Indirizzo
Piazza Duomo, tel. 035 210 061
orario d'apertura :
marzo - ottobre: tutti i giorni, ore 9.00 -12.30 e 14.00-18.30;
novembre - febbraio: ore 9.00 - 12.30 e 14.00 - 16.30
chiuso il lunedì.

Le mura venete - Bergamo Alta

The “Upper Town” walls, that existed since the Roman Age, documented in VIII, were re-built during the medieval period and they were re-managed and modified more and more times. There are some traces that today are still visible in via Vàgine, below the convent of S. Grata and on the left of the walls avenue, at the west side of the funicular line (ex via degli Anditi). At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the walls were in extremely terrible conditions. In 1556, the Venetian Republic, that has been holding the politic and territorial power of Bergamo for more than one century, decided to proceed with the whole reconstruction of the fortification town walls

The political aim of the Venetians was to enforce the border of their territory of which Bergamo constituted the western extremity and the closest stronghold of the enemies of the Spain Emperor as well. Engaged against the Turkish on the opposite front, Venice showed by this way the intention to not expand its power in the Lombardy.  The “Serenissima” decided to realize a bastioned stone fortification, since it had abandoned a first project of a partial reconstruction and re-management of the medieval walls, for which also Orologi and Malacrida were consultants and that caused moreover the achievement of the S. Marco Forte and five new bastions in 1561.In order to erect the town walls, more that 250 single building were demolished and some areas of the Upper Town were transformed from their natural aspect. The demolitions were necessary to save the building expenses, to shorten the time of realization and, in some cases, for the lack of alternative possible solutions. Thus, many important works and historical monuments got lost, such as the palaeo-Christian Cathedral of S. Alessandro, 80 houses in Borgo Canale, S. Lorenzo churches with 59 houses of the homonym village, S. Giacomo , S. Pietro, S. Stefano with the monastery (transferred in 1571 in the present S. Bartolomeo monastery in the Lower Town , SS. Barnaba and Lorenzino  in the neighbourhood of S. Giacomo Gate and the sewage dated back to the Roman Age. In 1574, Bergamo houses were 445; they corresponded to a half of the ones that existed before the building of the walls which perimeter was completed in 1588 under the guidance of the General Sforza Pallavicino.  The walls, that constituted one of the most significant fortresses realized by Venice on dry land, were never used for military actions even if the result, as concerns the defensive conception, led the way for that time.

At the beginning of the last century the walls were demilitarized and round them was realized the inner boulevard, shaded by horse-chestnut trees and plane-trees; the embankments were abolished and the green areas that overlooked the terraces and the bulwark were reduced. Underneath the walls, agriculture and horticultural activities, that already existed, were consolidated. Also nowadays, they give to the surroundings a landscape beauty that is unique. The walls, that now are partially a communal property and partially public land, were totally polished and in some parts restored in 1976 thanks to the initiative of the Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno (Tourist Office) and for some parts also in 1984. The excursions in the basement and in the embrasure of the walls are possible only upon booking, with the accompaniment of the experts of the speleological group “Le Nottole” (tel.035 251 233).

Informations
How to reach the upper town:

from Piazzale Marconi (Train/Coach/Bus Station) and from Porta Nuova
autobus 1 + funicular
autobus 1 Colle Aperto
by car following these directions: V.le Papa Giovanni XXIII -
V.le V. Emanuele - Porta S. Agostino - Viale delle mura - Colle aperto