A panoramic and picturesque walk with a visit to the ancient and unique places of the homeland of “Truffaldino”. For 4 hours that will fly by in a flash, we will immerse you in a real medieval fairy tale. The sights of Bergamo are so compact that we will have time to visit both the uptown city and the downtown city. I will tell you the story of Bergamo, from ancient Roman times to the present day, and I will show you the city exactly the way the locals know it and love it, including legends and real stories, funny stories and folklore that best reveal the true mentality of Italians. The city itself is located on seven hills. From this height it offers stunning views of the Alpine valleys. We will begin our journey with the uptown city, which is equipped with two funiculars. Bergamo is the pearl of the Middle Ages. There are in its original form: ancient castles, villas, fortresses, squares and churches in a variety of architectural styles, from the Romanesque to the Renaissance, Baroque and Liberty. First, we will admire the main 16th-century cathedral “Duomo di San Alessandro”, named after the patron saint of the city Alexander Bergamsky. I will tell you a sad story-legend of this martyr. Thirty years ago, during the restoration of this cathedral, it was discovered the remains of a Roman city of the first century AD. Now it hosts the museum "Museo e tesoro della Cattedrale". We will visit it at your request and admire the streets of a real Roman city, see antique frescoes of the first Christian church and a collection of old church utensils. I will also show you the Santa Croce Chapel of the Holy Cross Temple, an ancient temple, an impressive example of Romanesque architecture from the first half of the 11th century, which is guarded by white Venetian lions. There is also the “Piazza Rosata” square, where gladiatorial battles once took place. Here is the family tomb of the famous leader Bartolomeo Colleoni (Colleoni’s Chapel) in the Renaissance style. I will tell you a sad story about who was buried first. We will definitely look into it. I will also show you the 15th-century Baptistery Church and tell you its interesting story.

We will walk along one of the oldest neighborhood of the Lower City,called “Sentierone”, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century on the site of the Bergamo Ancient Fair, famous throughout Europe. You will find out who initiated the transformation of the city. In one of the squares of this neighborhood, we will find a small treasure, namely The Ancient Square “Piazza Dante”. I will tell you the local tradition about why it is on this square, no matter day or night, all the lights come on at the same time. In the same neighborhood we will also visit the Church of Saint Bartolomeo and Stephan". I will tell you about the rebellion of the monks of this church. The pride of the people from Bergamo is stored here, namely one of the paintings of the famous rebel Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto. I will show you a favorite place of lovers, a park with a lake and a monument to composer Gaetano Donizetti and his muse. The people from Bergamo are very proud of the fact that the creator of the famous opera "Elixir of Love" was born in their city. The main theater of the city, called “Teatro Donizetti” is named after him. We will admire its magnificent architecture and I will tell you a touching story of the creation of this theater and who presented it to the city. Every year, this theater hosts an international festival of pianists. Also, in honor of Gaetano Donizetti, local pastry chefs invented a cake that can be tasted in the oldest café in the New Town, called “Balzer”, which was opened in 1850. We will visit it at your request. We will see the 13th-century Santa Marta’s Cloister nunnery with unique frescoes, a small monument that embodies feminine purity and admire the amazing architecture of the monastery itself. It is located in one of the most crowded places of the city and at the same time, it is hidden from everyone in the elegant entrance of the Crispi’s Gallery. Then we will admire the tower of the memorial dedicated to the fallen people of the Great War that was built in the early 20s of the last century. We will see the monument to the Italian partisans “Monumento al Partigiano”, created by the famous architect Giacomo Manzu, the Freedom Square (“Piazza della Liberta”), as well as luxurious private villas and the only Protestant church “Chiesa Valdese” of the 18th century, which German and Swiss industrialists working at that time in Bergamo built for themselves.

And now we are at Piazza Vecchia, the pearl of the Upper Town, one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The oldest town hall in Europe. The “Palazzo della Ragione”, dating from the 11th century, is located here. Now it houses a unique collection of frescoes, from the 12th to the 15th century. In ancient times, Bergamo was called “La città dipinta”, which means “The painted city”, since many of its streets and squares were decorated with frescoes, still preserved in good condition. I will definitely show them to you. They are carefully hidden from an inexperienced look, but we will find them! On the Old Square you will definitely see the main medieval tower - the 15th-century bell called “La Torre Civica” which also has its own unique history. Also on the Old Square, we will admire the 17th-century Contarini’s Fountain, donated to the city by the mayor of Contarini family for a noble purpose, so that everyone, from the simplest to the most famous citizens, could drink clean water from it. Then we will definitely go to the “Santa Maria Maggiore” Basilica, built in the 11th century by the donations of the citizen of Bergamo, in the plea that the Virgin Mary save their city from the plague. This Basilica is unique in that it was built over 3 centuries. Outside, it is a strict Romanesque style, and inside, Baroque-style luxury, Florentine tapestries of the 15-17th centuries and 12th-century frescoes will amaze even the most sophisticated of you. Also in the Basilica is a unique collection of 36 marquetry of the Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto “Le Tarsie del coro di Santa Maria Maggiore”, which he portrayed only for welcoming Bergamo, where he lived thirteen years from all his hard life as a rebel. We will go to the medieval cafeteria “Caffè del Tasso”, which was built on the Old Square in 1476, before America was discovered. This unique institution was visited by many world and Italian celebrities. It contains an antique document of the 18th century, allowing the import of coffee beans into Bergamo. We can also try with you an espresso coffee, which costs only 1 euro and ten cents, despite this legendary cafeteria is located in the "heart" of the Old Town.

We will visit the elegant neighborhood of Bergamo "Borgo Medievale di San Leo". Here, the five most important streets of the city intersect. We will admire the charming fountain "La fontana di piazza Pontida". Here we will see two more churches: one from the Middle Age, dedicated to St. Alexander of Bergamo “Basilica di Sant'Alessandro in Colonna” and the second antique “Chiesetta di Santa Lucia” of the XI century, which is loved not only by adults, but also by small children from Bergamo. Why are they so attached to it?, I will tell you about it. It is in this neighborhood that Bergamo's favorite restaurants and taverns are also located. I will gladly share with you information about the best of them according to local residents and my own opinion.

Palazzo Nuovo - The new palace is located at the end of Colleoni street and covers the side of “Piazza Vecchia” (Old Square) opposite the “Palazzo della Ragione”, like theatrical scenes. The construction of this palace lasted for three whole centuries began in 1604 and ended only in 1928. And from the beginning of its construction, the building was the meeting place of the Bergamo Commune. Since 1928, one of the largest Italian libraries settled in the building - the city library named after “Angelo May”, in the repositories of which there are old parchments, the first printed books, music and many other priceless treasures. Inside, in the center of the Fourett’s Room, dedicated to Cardinal Fouretti, from whose books the library began to exist, you can admire two wonderful globes by Vincenzo Maria Cornelli, cosmographer of the Republic of Venice. Globes date back to 1688 and 1692, have a circumference of almost 3.5 meters and are made of 50 illustrated sheets.