The San Vigilio Castle was the last bastion of the city’s defences: if San Vigilio fell, so did Bergamo.

Which is why over the centuries a labyrinth of tunnels, secret passages and escape routes were dug out beneath the castle’s walls to be used in the event of a siege.

Of the original castle four towers, the battlements, the walkways and the embrasures are still visible today. Built on top of the San Vigilio hill which dominates the upper town, the castle is now owned by the municipality, which has opened it to the public, turned the surrounding area into a park and reopened the funicular, generally considered the best way to reach the hill and the castle.

Thanks to the speleological group Le Nottole, visitors can also explore the secret passage used to connect the castle to San Marco’s fort, located in the northern part of the city’s walls.