• Art & Culture

Bergamo in a weekend

A perfect square, the masterpieces of the Carrara Academy, the Venetian Walls Unesco World Heritage Site. Discover Bergamo!

Viewed from above, Bergamo is just like Stendhal described it: “The most beautiful place on earth.” Palaces, towers and domes, all within a single embrace.

The embrace of the city walls: built starting from 1561 by the Republic of Venice, the circle, just over five kilometres long, is perfectly preserved and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. The sequence of impressive gates and bastions take us straight into a page of history, discovered as we walk all around them. On a clear day, it’s like a theory of infinity.

In the heart of the Renaissance. Piazza Vecchia is Bergamo’s historic lounge: it is the “perfect” square loved by Le Corbusier. Facing each other, two extraordinary wings create a play of perspectives: the Palazzo della Ragione and the Palazzo Nuovo (currently Biblioteca Angelo Mai) with its white marble façade. Behind the Palazzo della Ragione, yet another world reveals itself: from the intellectual Romanesque style of Santa Maria Maggiore, with its amazing wood inlays depicting stories designed by Lorenzo Lotto, to the mausoleum of the humanist condottiero Colleoni.

And that’s not all. Upper Bergamo offers unexpected glimpses as you slowly lose yourself among hidden courtyards, flavours, and ancient skills. From Gombito to Colle Aperto, where, surrounded by the vegetation, the elegant profile of another treasure, the former Chiesa di Sant’Agostino dominates the scene.

The rediscovered museum. The citizens of Bergamo love it, tourists flock to visit it, the social media give it awards. After a seven-year restoration, the Accademia Carrara (1794) is one of the most visited museums in Italy. Among the nearly 600 works, visitors can simply let themselves be enchanted by masterpieces like Raphael’s “San Sebastiano” or the “Ritratto di bambina” by Giovan Battista Moroni. Be prepared for a journey through five centuries of Italian art.

All aboard! Two funiculars: the first one, built in 1887, takes 2 minutes and 40 seconds to climb up to Bergamo Alta, the Upper Town. The other one reaches even higher, up to San Vigilio, in a pristine spot tucked away in the Parco dei Colli. Here the perspective is overturned, the Upper Bergamo is now low and becomes part of a boundless landscape.

Gates and ramparts, the perfect square, a rediscovered museum, two funiculars, and a star of opera, Gaetano Donizetti. Five aspects that render Bergamo irresistible

Take me here: Bergamo in a weekend

On the same topic

The Legend of the Giubiana

The Giubiana festival is a very popular tradition in Lombardy
  • Art & Culture
Traditions in Como: The legend of the Giubiana

The historic houses of Bergamo

Gardens, art, culture and beauty: the historic homes of the noble families of Bergamo are well worth a visit.
  • Art & Culture
The historic houses of Bergamo

A day in the life of Leonardo

Art and more: discover a world of intrigue and passions
  • Art & Culture
Castello Sforzesco

Bergamo Brescia: Italian capital of culture 2023

Discover the schedule of events, new museums, projects and exhibitions that promise to take you off the beaten track.
  • Art & Culture
Bergamo Brescia: Italian capital of culture 2023 - Teatro Grande Brescia - inLombardia

Varese UNESCO

4 siti UNESCO, indissolubilmente legati al paesaggio: Monte San Giorgio, Isolino Virginia, Monastero di Torba, Sacro Monte di Varese.
  • Art & Culture
Quinta cappella al Sacro Monte di Varese

A Day in Pavia

When organizing your trip to Lombardy do not forget to visit Pavia
  • Art & Culture
A Day in Pavia

Bergamo, Crespi d'Adda

  • Art & Culture
Villaggio Crespi d'Adda

Museums Lecco

Known above all for 'I Promessi Sposi' by Manzoni, Lecco is also rich in history and culture to be discovered in the Civic Museums
  • Art & Culture
Museums Lecco, exploring Lombardy

Milan, following Leonardo’s footsteps

Pictorial suggestions and drawings. Machines and impressive hydraulic engineering works. In Milan, a journey in the wake of Leonardo
  • Art & Culture
Milan, following Leonardo’s footsteps

Spring in Varese

Varese: walks, picnics, secret beaches. In the spring, spend a day outdoors in the land of the lakes.
  • Art & Culture
Plenty of culture and fresh air at the Villa Della Porta Bozzolo

Urban sculptures and works of art: Lombardy's open-air museum

Lesser known statues, monuments, and works of art, concealed within the streets and piazzas of Lombardy's cities: a prestigious artistic heritage is waiting to be discovered 
  • Art & Culture
Opere e sculture urbane: il museo a cielo aperto della Lombardia

Seriate, and its charming historic villas

  • Art & Culture
Seriate, and its charming historic villas

School trips

Cremona is the ideal destination for your school trip
  • Art & Culture
School trips

Come to discover Cremona!

A new guide for children and families
  • Art & Culture
Come to discover Cremona!

Autumn trip to villas and castles

An autumn adventure of history & beauty: explore the autumn charm of Lombardy's villas and castles.
  • Art & Culture
Autumn trip to villas and castles

The Lombard seigniories: key figures, history and places

Gonzaga, Visconti, Sforza: a journey through cities steeped in history and culture
  • Art & Culture
Gonzaga - Palazzo Ducale Mantova - ph: analisidellopera.it

Museums Como

Great museum offer in Como. From the first communities on the territory to the thematic museums
  • Art & Culture
Museums Como, ideas for visiting

Cammino del Vescovado: vineyards and villages

A route in three stages to discover the Terre del Vescovado, amidst picturesque villages, charming hills and famous vineyards
  • Art & Culture
Cammino del Vescovado: vineyards and villages - credits: terredelvescovado.it

Festival of Ethical Photography

Responsible photojournalism: The Festival of Ethical Photography
  • Art & Culture
Festival della Fotografia Etica

Immerse yourself online in art in Lombardy

Visit online the architectural beauties, cities, monuments, museums, exhibitions and places of culture in Lombardy
  • Art & Culture
Immerse yourself online in art in Lombardy