Bergamo and the Historic Beauty of the Città Alta

I remember my first encounter with Bergamo. After several days in Stresa, on Lago Maggiore north of Milan, I headed east on the autostrada on a late Spring afternoon. The periphery of the old city called the Città Alta, Upper City, is a very industrial area. The main east to west autostrada and numerous major rail links that spread across Europe have attracted numerous commercial enterprises to the city. The ride to the parking area to the city’s quaint funicular up to the old city was quite easy to locate.

When I arrived at the “Città Alta,” time fell away.

The ancient piazza of this formerly walled medieval city is one of the loveliest in Italy. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the city’s largest religious structures, faces the piazza. Studied by architectural students for centuries, the building has two unique characteristics: no main door faces the public square, and the Basilica was built in, and next, to the Palazzo Ducale. The Basilica is dedicated to St. Mark, John the Baptist, and St. Bartholomew. In deference to that dedication, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted the frescoes which depict the Episodes of the Lives of St. Mark, John the Baptist, and Bartholomew, between 1732 and 1733.

Another major structure that dominates the Città Alta is the Cathedral of Saint Alexander. From as early as the 9th Century, A.D., the old town housed two churches: one dedicated to Saint Vincent and one to Saint Alexander. Both were venerated as martyrs for their faith. Following a Papal Bull in 1697, the parish combined into one Basilica (the church of Saint Vincent had been destroyed several years prior) to honor St. Alexander. The cathedral contains many great works of art, the most famous of which is Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s Martyrdom of Bishop Saint John of Bergamo (1731-1743). The interior is vast, and the gorgeous design of the structure glows in the early evening light.

My overnight stays in Bergamo are always based at the GombitHotel, just steps from Santa Maria Maggiore and the Città Alta piazza. This wonderful, comfortable hotel offers gorgeous rooms, some with views over the valley below. Room rates are reasonable, and service is impeccable.

At the end of the day on that first visit, I strolled around the old town center and came across Antica Hosteria Del Vino Buono. How fortunate could I have been? The food was fabulous, and the sense of Bergamo’s history shone throughout the interior; stone walls, traditional table linens, a leather-bound menu holder, all underscore the pride of the owner’s family. I have returned to this lovely place numerous times, and have never been disappointed.

Everything is an easy walk in the old walled city. When out and about during the day, I usually stop at Café dei Colleoni, located directly on the Piazza Maggiore of the old city, for a light breakfast or lunch. This place exudes the Belle Epoque with a unique approach to the Venetian cafes to which it pays homage.

The morning following my most recent visit was in late October of 2019. An eerie fog had settled over the old city, and, looking back on it now, that seemed an omen of things to come. Bergamo was the epicenter of northern Italy’s COVID outbreak; the city and her people suffered greatly. Yet, as you make plans to return to Italy, and as the days of a vaccine become reality, please take some time to visit this gorgeous walled village. You will never be disappointed.