Two towns, one city
Bergamo sits about 50 kilometers northeast of Milan, where the Lombard plain meets the first hills. The modern lower town, Città Bassa, spreads across the flat ground. The old upper town, Città Alta, sits on the hill above it, a compact maze of stone lanes, towers and churches.
The easiest way up is the funicular, which has linked the two towns since 1887. It climbs through the old walls and drops you in the middle of the upper town.
The Venetian walls
Bergamo was part of the Republic of Venice, and in the 16th century Venice wrapped the upper town in massive defensive walls. They run for about 6 kilometers around Città Alta.
In 2017 UNESCO added them to the World Heritage List as part of the Venetian Works of Defence, a group of fortifications that stretches from Italy to Croatia and Montenegro. Today the top of the walls is a promenade with views over the plain.
Piazza Vecchia
The heart of the upper town is Piazza Vecchia, the square in our photos. It is framed by the medieval Palazzo della Ragione, the Campanone civic tower and the city library, the Biblioteca Angelo Mai.
The Swiss architect Le Corbusier is often quoted as calling it the most beautiful square in Europe.
