Two cities in one: a casket of timeless treasures and beauties. Once in Bergamo in Lombardy the gaze of an attentive observer cannot fail to focus on the particularity of this locality. Upper Bergamo, better known to all as "Upper Town" and Lower Bergamo. One is the history of the Lombard city, it encloses the alleys, the streets of the ancient medieval fortress. The other is that which arose at a later time and includes the urban core, its commercial activities, schools, its economy. And when you arrive in Bergamo by plane, the separation between the two parts of the city is truly evident and surprising: a promontory overlooking the valley full of houses and activities. But let's go and discover this city.
The city of Bergamo and its beauties, from the walls to the squares
It is said that Stendhal defined Bergamo as "Enchanting and of superb beauty" and "The most beautiful place on earth and the most fascinating ever seen". Not only did he celebrate the praises of this beautiful city built on the hill. In the Upper Town, in fact, there are traces of the first inhabitants. Its origins date back to the fifth century BC and there are many testimonies recently found on its antiquity. The mighty walls surround the oldest part of the Lombard city.
They became UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 as Venetian Defense Works, built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. The entrance doors then open to the discovery of the treasures of the Upper Town. To reach the ancient area you can take the funicular that offers the viewer the opportunity to admire the modern city and the ancient one above. Or you can take a walk getting lost among the stairs, the steps, the small streets between one house and another and a truly breathtaking rooftop view.
A Decumano today full of many activities
And then you come to the road considered the Decumano of the city, one of the two main ones that crossed the whole town. A path that today is among shop windows, bars, restaurants and ancient buildings starting from medieval Bergamo. Then a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is not to be missed, where you can admire the inlays by Lorenzo Lotto. Fascinating then Piazza Vecchia, with its medieval buildings including the Palazzo della Ragione. And after the square the path continues towards the fountain of Sant'Agata where the remains of a mosaic belonging to a Roman house have been found nearby. In the Citadel complex there is the Archaeological Museum, which contains the objects of the oldest city. There are many small oases among the streets of the village, such as the Lorenzo Rota Botanical Garden which houses about 1.200 types of plants.
A city to discover for lovers of art, good food and music
A must at the Carrara Academy. Here you can admire some works by Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Bellini, Mantegna, Titian, Rubens. Speaking of Bergamo, one cannot fail to admire its culinary specialties. From “casoncelli alla bergamasca”, a stuffed pasta stuffed with meat, parmesan, sultanas and amaretti. And the characteristic sweet "polenta and osei". And then the city gave birth to Gaetano Donizetti, the protagonist of Italian melodrama. You can admire his house museum and then the Theater in Piazza Cavour named after him.
All this and much more is Bergamo. A city truly to be discovered, a city to be loved for its long history, a city to be encouraged. In this terrible year due to the pandemic we are experiencing, the Lombard city has been hit hard. In the first stage of the pandemic there have been many deaths due to Covid. Slowly the city has risen and when this ends it will be repopulated with tourists, Italians and foreigners who will return to visit and love it.
