Bergamo is a city with a thousand faces and a thousand cultural proposals, capable of satisfying everyone's needs. Porta Nuova, a monumental gate, formed by two imposing neoclassical buildings from which the entry of goods into the city was once controlled, is now the fulcrum of the Lower Town. In the back gardens of Piazza Matteotti stands the famous Monument to the Partisan, the work of famous sculptor Giacomo Manzù. The Academy and Picture Gallery of Carrara, one of the most important artistic institutions in the city, houses the works of masters of the size of Raphael, Botticelli, Mantegna, Tiziano, Tiepolo and Canaletto. In front of the picture gallery, reachable along the famous Sentierone, the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GAMeC) is worth a visit. In Via Torquato Tasso there is the splendid Church of Santo Spirito, better known as the Church of the Tasso.
Continuing, it is possible to admire the most famous historic buildings of the city including Palazzo Suardi, Bonomi, Maffeis-De Beni, Daina-Penati and Agliardi until you reach the most fashionable via XX Settembre, via Sant'Alessandro and via Sant'Orsola, for let yourself be tempted by shopping in the numerous shops of the most famous fashion brands.
Bergamo "the most beautiful spontaneous example of medieval architecture" (cit. Frank Lloyd Wright)
The heart of the Upper Town, reachable via the San Vigilio funicular, is Piazza Vecchia which overlooks the most evocative sculptural and architectural masterpieces of Bergamo:
The "Campanone", the civic tower of the city; the octagonal Gothic Baptistery; the Palazzo della Ragione, the ancient town hall and the Contarini fountain. Dedicated to the captain of fortune Bartolomeo Colleoni is the majestic Colleoni Chapel, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. Inside the equestrian statue of the leader, the sarcophagi inlaid in marble and the tomb of the beloved daughter Medea.
Located nearby is the sumptuous Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, whose red and white marble lions majestically guard the entrances. Frescoes, stuccos and tapestries designed by Lorenzo Lotto, decorate the building which houses the monument to Gaetano Donizetti, the famous Italian composer. Surrounding the fortified city are the sixteenth-century Venetian Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from which it is possible to enjoy a breath-taking view of Bergamo and the gunboat of S. Giovanni, a precious testimony of military technique in Bergamo under Venetian domination.
Bergamo and its mountains
Val Seriana is the ideal combination of nature, history and millenary tractions: There are numerous alpine tourist resorts that dot the area. An oasis of peace is Selvino, a few km from Gazzaniga. Numerous activities and offers are available in the area. From Monte Purito to nature trails up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Perello, from mountain bike excursions, to the famous mini walk organized for children up to the numerous paths of the Adventure Park.
A few kilometres away also the famous Terme di San Pellegrino attracts visitors. Not far away on the plateau that stretches from Monte Cimiero to Pizzo Formico and then to Presolana, stands Clusone, a well-known tourist resort known for its numerous aided paths through verdant pine forests and the most demanding hikes in the Pre-Alps and Orobic Alps. Located at the top of the Scalve Valley and set in a wonderful natural environment, Schilpario, the flagship of Nordic skiing with the famous Pista degli Abeti, is the ideal place for a relaxing walk or for more demanding excursions aimed at true professionals.
Crespi D’Adda, strolling through a workers' village of the late nineteenth century.
Crespi D’Adda, less than 20 km from Seriate, is the only example of industrial archaeology classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as an illustrious example of a workers' village, an environmental and architectural jewel. A day at the Crespi D’Adda cotton mill is a dip into a place out of time, the unique opportunity to identify with the life of the last century.
Abbazia Sant’Egidio in Fontanella, the charm of the Middle Ages
About 30 km from Seriate in the woods of Mount Canto stands the Abbey of Sant'Egidio. Founded a thousand years ago in Romanesque style and embellished with wonderful frescoes and a mysterious sepulchre it is an enchanting place to relive an era of knights and crusades.
Caravaggio - Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Fonte
The most beloved Marian shrine in the area, visited each year by fervent pilgrims devoted to the Madonna and numerous visitors, is an imposing building overlooking a wide tree-lined avenue that starts from the eighteenth-century arch of Porta Nuova. The majestic high altar designed by Filippo Juvarra, the marvellous frescoes and the Sacro Speco which leads to the Sacra Fonte are of considerable importance.
