Bergamo

The connection between downtown Bergamo and Bergamo Alta. The Bergamo funicular railway has connected downtown Bergamo to Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe in the Bergamo Alta part of town for more than 120 years. Engineer Alessandro Ferretti, in 1887, created the first design where the funicular would operate driven by a steam engine with a two-carriage system: thanks to the weight of one, the other would be lifted. Later, in 1917, a rail was added and the machinery and stations were renovated. Thanks to the Bergamo funicular railway, it is possible, in just 240 m, to cross a height difference of 85 m with a 52% slope. This is without a doubt the most scenic way to reach Bergamo Alta. In fact, on clear days one can enjoy a fantastic panorama over Bergamo and the entire Po Valley and sometimes even catch a glimpse of the Apennines!

The heart of Bergamo Alta Piazza Vecchia is considered the "renaissance parlor" where all the medieval streets of the upper city join together. At the center of the square is the Contarini Fountain, the main meeting place of locals and tourists alike. Major historical buildings stand on the square, such as the Angelo Mai Civic Library hosted inside Palazzo Nuovo or Palazzo della Ragione, under which is an ancient sundial built in the 18th century. At noon sharp (solar time) the ray of sun filtering through the hole in the shield hanging from the arches marks the date and zodiac sign. In Piazza Vecchia there is also the “Campanone”, as the Civic Tower is nicknamed by the people of Bergamo. At 10 p.m. every night, with its 100 chimes, it announces the closing of the gates to Bergamo Alta.

Where you can meet all the Renaissance masters The Accademia Carrara was founded in the late eighteenth century following Count Giacomo Carrara’s bequest. His extremely rich collection of paintings, drawings and prints forms the initial nucleus of today's art gallery. The exhibition is spread over two floors and develops through 28 rooms. More than six hundred works are on display from the major Italian, Flanders, and Dutch schools of painting. TheAccademia Carrara collaborates on major exhibitions with works routinely displayed in the museum's tour itinerary. The Accademia Carrara also organizes numerous artistic events from concerts to dance performances and guided tours dedicated to selected themes.

Where to take a romantic stroll in Bergamo Bergamo would not be the same without its imposing Venetian Walls. They cover come six kilometers and are still well preserved, having been restored between 1976 and 1984. The inestimable artistic and cultural value of the Walls is also shown by their recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. Part of the transnational series of sites featuring "Venetian defense works between the 16th and 17th centuries" also include the fortifications in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Croatia, and Montenegro. They were built from 1561 by the Republic of Venice to stem enemy attacks, and have been preserved almost intact to the present day. More than 250 buildings were demolished to construct the walls, including 8 religious buildings, among which, the Cathedral of Sant'Alessandro and the Dominican convent of Santo Stefano. A large number of workers were employed in their construction, under the direction of architects from Venice and Bergamo, because of the vastness and grandeur of the building works. At weekends, the inner perimeter becomes a large pedestrian island in the Città Alta. The most striking entry points are the four monumental gates, with Sant’Agostino to the east, San Giacomo to the south, Sant'Alessandro to the west, and San Lorenzo to the north.