• Religious Tourism
    • Art & Culture

Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

Frescoes, tapestries, inlays. Romanesque outside, baroque inside. In Bergamo, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is a story in the story

Where
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore
Piazza del Duomo, Bergamo
Contacts
+39 035 211355
Official site
Infopoint
Infopoint Bergamo Città Alta
Via Gombito, 13, Bergamo
+39 035 242226

The Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, in the splendid setting of Bergamo's upper city known as città alta,stands on piazza del Duomo,between the city's dense network of streets.

Built in the second half of the 12th century, the basilicahas a typically Romanesque exterior, while the interior décor is reminiscent of the brilliant Baroque style. The citizens of Bergamo commissioned the construction of the basilica as a votive offering to theVirgin Mary, in the hopes that she would bringa long period of drought to an end. While the basilica was completed in the 13th century, work continued there all the way up to the18th century.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which dates back to this latter age, is located in the heart of the Città Alta,nestled between piazza Vecchia and piazza Rosate, in the noblest part of historic Bergamo, surrounded by Venetian walls. Its urban and religious importance is confirmed by two facts: the first is that the building is devoid of a façadein the traditional sense, but actually boasts two of them.

Today, although the façade does not have a central entrance (due to its position next to the bishop's palace), you can enter the complex from three doors. The grandest entrance is on the left side of the building, the door of the Red Lions, while the other two are the White Lion door and the Door of the Fountain, the latter by Pietro Isobello.

The church stands on the ruins of another smaller one, also dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Little is known of the man responsible for its creation - Magisterium Fredo –known as one of the Masters of Como. The churchbears the imprint of the Romanesque stylethat was typical of the era, enriched with influences withvarious geographical origins, even from Europe, such as the Rhine region. Of the five original apsestwo have survived, the centre apse and the one to the southwest.

The construction pattern of the walls provides traces of the various eras theywere constructed in, clearly influenced by the resources available at the time: large, regular and well-squared blocks are found on the eastern part of the first lower row; smaller and irregular blocks are positioned in the rest of the wall. The colour of the sandstone is warm and varied, in shades ranging from a soft yellow-amber to stone grey.


Opening hours

Monday: only on request               
Tuesday - Thursday: 10:30 - 12:00 e 14:30 - 17:30
Friday e Saturday: 10:30 - 17:30
Sunday: 9:00-10:15 e 13:30-17:30

Admission is free

Take me here: Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

Places

Palazzo del Podestà

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Al suo interno il Museo storico del Cinquecento
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Museo Donizettiano

Gaetano Donizetti: the most internationally famous person from Bergamo
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Museo Donizettiano
111 mt

Piazza Vecchia Bergamo

Renaissance masterpiece in the heart of Upper Bergamo, Piazza Vecchia is "the perfect square" that has enchanted (also) Le Corbusier
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Piazza Vecchia Bergamo
112 mt

Palazzo Terzi

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Palazzo Terzi
116 mt

Venetian Walls Bergamo

Venetian Walls of Bergamo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site from 2017, extend for over 6 kilometers, with a varying height
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Venetian Walls Bergamo
263 mt

Rocca of Bergamo

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Rocca di Bergamo
333 mt

Palazzo Moroni

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Palazzo Moroni
438 mt

Palazzo Agliardi

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Palazzo Agliardi
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Carrara Academy

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Accademia Carrara Bergamo
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GAMeC

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GAMeC
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San Vigilio Castle

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San Vigilio Castle
1.09 km

Donizetti Theater

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1.14 km

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Duomo of Bergamo
1.3 km

Villa Grismondi Finardi

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Villa Grismondi Finardi
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Lorenzo Rota Botanical Gardens

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Lorenzo Rota Botanical Gardens
2.32 km

Monastery of Astino

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The Monastery of Astino, Churches in Bergamo
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Almenno San Bartolomeo

The village, at the beginning of the Imagna Valley,offers beautiful itineraries through Romanesque architecture and nature.
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ALMENNO SAN BARTOLOMEO_VILLA MALLIANA DEI CONTI MALLIANI
6.72 km

Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza

Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza It is a very technical course is located just 13 km from Bergamo and 50 km from Milan.
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Golf Club Bergamo l'Albenza, Almenno San Bartolomeo (BG)
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Selvino

A perfect family destination to visit in any season
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Selvino
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Malpaga Castle

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Malpaga Castle
11.25 km

Activities

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Bergamo, a hidden treasure
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MTB Freeride – 2 days in the Orobie Alps, Bergamo

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MTB Freeride – 2 days in the Orobie Alps, Bergamo
957 mt

Full day trekking – high mountains

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Full day trekking – high mountains
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Upper Bergamo in eMTB

  • Cycle Tourism
Upper Bergamo in eMTB
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Fly Fishing in Orobie Alps

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Fly Fishing in Orobie Alps
7.27 km

MTB Freeride – Full day high Orobie Alps, Bergamo

  • Active & Green
MTB Freeride – Full day high Orobie Alps, Bergamo
9.89 km

Where to sleep

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IL NIDO

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B&B MARIO LUPO

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DEPENDANCE RIVOLA

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B&B LA CASA DEI MERCANTI LITTLE TRADITIONAL BNB

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LOCANDA CAVOUR

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GOMBITO

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FLORA I

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DIMORA STORICA GOMBITHOTEL

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IL SOLE

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