Bergamo

An exciting story to which new details are continuously added as new archaeological investigations reveal details of the old city. It is therefore no coincidence that Upper Bergamo offers the visitor the possibility of making an extraordinary excursion combining the beauty of the monuments and locations with the discovery of the past.

On the Venetian walls, the access doors, invite you to discover the treasures of Upper City

Once arrived, upon exiting the station, the visitor is welcomed by a spectacular space that seems to be formed from a theatre set. This is the Mercato delle Scarpe (shoe market), a square that was once a major traffic junction: roads met coming from the east - from Venice (via Porta Dipinta) - and from the west - Milan (via San Giacomo). Due to the presence of these communication routes, it is believed that the square was home to Roman Bergamo’s first market. 

 

 

Via Gombito, which begins right by the exit of the funicular, is identified by the Decumanus, one of the Roman city’s two main roads (the other is the Cardo) that spanned the entire city from east to west, an urban axis that has remained intact to this day.

 

 

From the gardens of the Rocca enjoy beautiful views of the city

In the same square, on the right-hand side, Via Rocca begins with a short climb that leads to the top of a hill - the hill of Santa Eufemia - which is dominated by the Rocca, a fortress with fourteenth century origins that has been modified and updated with defences many times. According to tradition, it was here that the Capitol building stood, a very important building in the structure of a Roman city.

 

The Decumanus offers the pleasure of a beautiful walk amongst shop windows, bars, restaurants and old buildings from Medieval Bergamo (don’t overlook the adjacent streets!), but here nothing can be seen of the Roman city. In the confined space of the hill, the city was demolished and rebuilt many times and the remains of the first city are underground. Every time a more in-depth dig takes place, traces of Bergamo from Julius Caesar’s or Augustus’ era emerge. It was precisely during one of these excavations that the foundations of huts from the Iron Age were identified: the first sign of a settlement on the hill of Bergamo, 2,500 years ago.  

 

Further ahead stands a huge tower, which seems to have been built to guard what is the heart of Roman Bergamo’s roads, in the spot where the Decumanum crossed the Cardo (north - south), represented today by Via San Lorenzo and Via Mario Lupo. By no coincidence this area is called Gombito, “Compitum” (Latin for crossroads), which refers directly to the Roman place name.

Piazza Vecchia is the heart of the ancient city on the hill

 

After Piazza Vecchia, our tour continues along the second part of the Decumanus, which corresponds to Via Colleoni. Here, under the fountain of Saint Agatha, on the corner of the street of the same name, the remains of a mosaic belonging to a Roman house were found. Our walk ends at the large complex of the Citadel, which houses the Archaeological Museum. Among the statues, gravestones, urns, altars and objects displayed in its glass cases, it is possible to learn more about older Bergamo. Frescoes that decorated the walls of a house dating back to Roman times can also be found, and with meticulous recovery and restoration work, three rooms have been rebuilt as they were originally: a Medieval tower was erected above and the “domus” was forgotten underground. Almost a little Pompeii.  

There are many restaurants in both upper and lower Bergamo which offer delicious local dishes and traditional menus that include Bergamask cured meats and cheese, polenta and desserts, accompanied by beers and wines produced locally.

 

 

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