Excursion from Lake Como to Bergamo
Bergamo is two towns in one – a high level, walled old town and a lower, modern town – connected by funicular. There are tourist offices in both parts.
The centre of the old town is the Piazza Vechia; a wide square with pavement cafes and a fountain, surrounded by impressive medieval and renaissance buildings. The richly decorated church of Santa Maria Maggiore contains a ‘hugely ornate’ wooden confessional, described as looking like ‘expensive sculpted chocolate’. Next door is the ‘fabulously ornate’ Colleoni Chapel, which includes a statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, a professional soldier, on a gold horse.
Bergamo is a cultural centre, with an emphasis on music and art. It was the home of the composer Donizetti, whose operas include ‘Lucia da Lammemoor’ and ‘Elisir D’Amore’. There is a Donizetti museum, as well as a Donizetti theatre with an annual opera season. The art gallery (Accademia Carrara) is said to be one of the best in Italy with pictures by Botticelli, Bellini, Mantegna and Fra Angelico.
To get to Bergamo, take the Milan train from Como and change at Monza for the Bergamo train. The whole journey will take at least one and a half hours, so you’ll need to make an early start (many of the historic buildings close for up to three hours in the middle of the day). Go to Trenitalia website for train timetable. Alternatively, it may be more convenient to do this trip in a hire car or by coach tour (details at your local tourist information office).
The website of the Provincia di Bergamo contains 360 degree views of the town.
