Founded in 49 BC, Bergamo consists of the districts of Città alta (the upper town) and Città bassa (the lower town), which are connected by a cable car and walking paths. The city is the capital of the province of Bergamo in the Lombardy region, about 40 kilometers northeast of Milan. The city had 121,639 inhabitants in 2018.
The centre of Alta is characterized by Piazza Vecchia, Cattedrale di Bergamo e Battistero, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and the mausoleum of Rastelli, the world-famous juggler.
It is surrounded by six kilometers of Venetian walls, built in the 16th century, which form the historic center of Bergamo. These walls have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. The wall was built in 1561 under the Republic of Venice to defend itself against enemies.
Gombito Tower
Worth a visit is the 52 meter high Gombito Tower, built in 1200. It was built to control access to Piazza Vecchia, the heart of Bergamo, from the roads coming from the surrounding valleys. There are 263 steps to the top of the tower with an outstanding view of the city.
Piazza Veccia is home to the city's library, the Angelo Mai Library, founded in 1760. Its collections include Frederick Barbarossa's diploma from 1157, Bergamo's first charter from 1248, the "Laudario" by Jacopone da Todi, one of the founders of Italian literature who lived from around 1230 to 1306.
In Piazza Vecchia there is a wide range of restaurants, including Colleoni dell'Angelo, which offers Italian, Mediterranean and European cuisine on its menu. It has received reviews for having good vegetarian dishes. Colleoni dell'Angelo also has vegan and gluten-free options.
Another restaurant in Piazza Vecchia is Lalimentari, which offers Italian cuisine and has received good reviews for its vegetarian dishes, as well as offering vegan and gluten-free options. In addition, guests have highlighted the restaurant's fine selection of wines.
Città bassa
The lower center - Bassa - is more modern, with housing and the Via 20 Settembre shopping district.
There you will also find the Accademia Carrara art museum, founded by Count Giacomo Carrara in 1794. Carrara supported artists while collecting works of art. As well as publicly displaying his art collection, Carrara also started the Accademia Carrara art school in 1794, which is also the name of the art museum.
After the Count's death in 1796, his assets were managed by a trustee until 1958 when the municipality of Bergamo took over. In 1810, the art museum was moved to its current neoclassical building.
The museum houses works by artists such as Baschenis, Bellini, Botticelli, Canaletto, Fra Galgario, Mantegna, Moroni, Pisanello, Raffaello, Tiepolo, and Piccio.
The modern art gallery Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAMEC) has been housed in a building opposite the museum since 1991.
The football stadium
The football enthusiast should of course visit the football stadium Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia where Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio plays its home games in Serie A, the Italian top division.
The stadium, which was inaugurated in 1928 with a match between Atalanta and Triestina, is located in the Conca Fiorita district. The stadium has a capacity of 21,000 seats. Last year, the club bought the Atalanta stadium from the city of Bergamo and plans to build two new short curves and carry out a general renovation. This will increase capacity to 24,000 seats. The work is expected to be completed by 2020.
Victory in the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) in 1963 and a semi-final place in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1988 are considered Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio's greatest successes. A fifth place (1948) is the club's best ever finish in the Italian league (Serie A).
The most famous Swede to have played for the club is Glenn Strömberg. He was captain of the team and played eight seasons for Atalanta. In addition, Bengt "Julle" Gustavsson and Robert Prytz have also played for the team.
Air and rail traffic
Air passengers wishing to reach Bergamo can do so via Aeroporto Orio al Serio (also known as Milan-Bergamo Airport).
There is no train connection from the international airport Aeroporto Orio al Serio (Milan-Bergamo) but there is a shuttle bus service to Bergamo Central Station, which takes about 10 minutes. Taxis are also available outside the arrivals hall.
Bergamo Central Station is located in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, in the south-eastern part of the city center. The station was inaugurated in 1854, and is part of the railway line between Lecco and Brescia. Bergamo also has railway lines to the stations of Seregno and Treviglio.
From Bergamo Central Station there are trains every hour on weekdays to Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale). The timetable is different on weekends. The journey from Bergamo to Milan takes between 40 and 50 minutes.
Contents