ITALY

CONTINENTAL DRIFTER
Bergamo: A tale of two cities
by Elliott Hester

Just off the A4 expressway, 30 miles northeast of Milan, Bergamo may be the best kept secret in Italy’s Lombardi region. And what a beautiful secret it is.

Located in the foothills of the Italian Alps, Bergamo (pop. 120,000) is literally two cities in one. The medieval upper city, Città Alta, is built on a hilltop and surrounded by a 17th-century defensive wall. The modern lower city, Città Bassa, fans out from the base of the hill and occupies the surrounding plain.

Save for the Accademia Carrara, where an impressive collection of Baroque and Renaissance paintings are on display, Città Bassa holds nominal offerings for tourists. You’ll find wide avenues which can be congested during rush hour, a few 19th-century churches, and a plethora of contemporary buildings. The handsome pedestrian shopping mall along Via 20 Settembre can be done in a blink of an eye. But towering on the hilltop—visible from Città Bassa’s busy streets and piazzas—Città Alta is a lofty delight.

Città Alta can be reached by climbing a series of steep steps, or driving up a winding road that leads through a portal in the fortified wall. Perhaps the most enjoyable way to get there, however, is by funicolare.

Constructed in 1887, the slow-moving cable car crawls 750 feet uphill, providing spectacular views of Città Bassa along the way. Passengers disembark at the Città Alta funicolare station, which is housed in a 14th-century building that spills onto Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe. This ancient, sloping, cobblestone square is the perfect launching pad for a medieval excursion.

The piazza leads to Città Alta’s main street, Via Gombito, a narrow brick lane lined with shops and architectural antiquities. There are salumerias (salami shops), pasticcerias (pastry shops), modest fashion boutiques and numerous bars and restaurants—all of which peek from behind 600-year-old façades. (It should be noted that Bergamo’s restaurants are as good as anywhere in Italy. The local fare is fixated on meat, primarily rabbit, a staple at many eateries. And the prices can be considerably lower than in Milan).

Città Alta is a labyrinth of narrow streets and hidden passageways that lead from the quiet outskirts to Piazza Vecchia, the heart of old Bergamo. Here you’ll find locals (and a smattering of tourists) strolling past the ornate Contarini Fountain. Some folks stand in the shade of the 800-year-old bell tower, eating gelato while pedestrians pass by. Others stop and stare at the Palazzo della Ragione.

Before the 15th century, the palazzo’s façade faced south. But in 1453, following restoration work to accommodate newly acquired Venetian tastes, the façade was actually turned around. Now it faces north toward Piazza Vecchia.

Behind the Palazzo della Ragione, poised on the edge of Piazzetta Duomo, lies Città Alta’s most prominent attraction: the Santa Maria Maggiore Church and Colleoni Chapel.

The church’s stout medieval appearance was irrevocably altered between 1473-76, when the Colleoni Chapel was grafted onto its façade. The flamboyant chapel, made of muted pink and white marble, is ornate in the Renaissance tradition. From a child’s perspective the bas-reliefs, pilasters and outlandish play of colors may seem less Renaissance and more Disneyesque. Either way, it’s a feast for the eyes.

A few steps away, the Duomo, which was undergoing repairs during my visit, is more on a human scale than the massive Duomo 45 minutes away in Milan. Like everything else in Bergamo, less is more.

Città Alta’s charm lies as much in the architecture as the ambiance. Church bells ring every hour (and sometimes, every half hour), echoing through the old labyrinthine streets. Elderly women lean from flowered balconies, watching with eagle eyes as their grandchildren frolic on the cobblestones. Proprietors stand outside their shops (which are open on Sundays, unlike most of Italy), jabbering incessantly among themselves and then stepping inside when a patron enters.

From the edges of this hilltop half of Bergamo, you can stand above the ancient wall, look down upon Città Bassa and feel as though medieval times have yet to pass. All the more reason to visit Città Alta before the secret is out.

Next Stop: Paris, France

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