"The city does not tell its past, it contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of streets, in the grills of windows, in the handrails of stairways, in the antennas of lightning rods, in the poles of flags..." - Italo Calvino, Italian writer and poet
Bergamo and culture: discovering Bergamo's characters and itineraries - Knowing the culture of a place is a priority for the true traveller. This activity becomes even more exciting and meaningful if one traces the history of the characters of a place. Internationally famous, the lives of these characters from Bergamo have remained inextricably linked to Bergamo's art, history and culture. We advise everyone to sit comfortably and let the adventures of our famous artists unfold. Happy reading!
Bergamo and culture: Bartolomeo Colleoni
Bartolomeo Colleoni, commander of the Venetian armies was born in 1365 in Solza, on the Bergamo plain, where today guided tours are organised to admire the fascinating castle of the famous commander.
Another essential stop is Malpaga Castlewhich he transformed into a powerful defensive bulwark to control the border of the State of Milan, along the river Adda. From this building, he made a splendid residence, once he had abandoned arms.
However, it is precisely at Bergamo, within the old Upper Town, is his tomb, better known as Colleoni Chapel, artistic testimony of the Lombard Renaissance: not far from the house that the commander used as his home (in the ancient Via Corsarola, today dedicated to the illustrious commander), Bartolomeo decided to be buried in the Chapel next to his daughter Medea.
Bergamo and culture: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio - Some works of the genius from Bergamo
Bergamo and culture: Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is by far one of the most famous Italian painters and one of the best known abroad. Born in 1571 in Caravaggioin the Bergamo plain, after an apprenticeship in Milan, he achieved his first successes in Romegradually becoming an artist of excellent quality. Yet, due to his restless and quarrelsome character, he was repeatedly involved in fights, which even resulted in arrests and trials.
After yet another quarrel, he left Rome and began a wandering life, stopping in various cities where he produced masterpieces of incredible beauty. Some of his most famous stops include Naples, Malta and the Sicilian island. Unfortunately, none of his paintings can be admired in the Bergamo area, but it is undoubtedly interesting to discover the places of origin of this intemperate genius. In the province of Bergamore you can admire the landscape from which he drew inspiration for his rich artistic repertoire.
Bergamo and culture: Gaetano Donizetti
"Bergamo and culture" is also him, Gaetano Donizetti. This famous composer to whom we owe such imperishable works as the "Lucia di Lammermoor'. o "The Elixir of Love, was born in Bergamo in via Borgo Canalenot far from the city walls. Today it is possible to visit his birth house.
To the musician was dedicated the Donizettiano Museum place where rare memorabilia from the artist's life and work are collected. The museum is located along Via Arena, the area where he began his early musical studies and an extension of via Donizettistreet where the artist met his death at the age of 51. Note the splendid plaque on the façade of Scotti Palace.
The last testimony that reminds us of this great artist's past is his tomb, kept in the nave of the Basilica of St. Mary Majorlocated right next to that of his beloved master: Simon Mayr.
Bergamo and culture: Giacomo Manzù - The man and the artist
Bergamo and culture: Giacomo Manzù
The presence of the sculptor Giacomo Manzù in Bergamo is omnipresent. In fact, several works fill the streets and lanes of the city and emphasise the indestructible bond created between art, place and inhabitant. Walking through the entrance portico of the Palazzo della Provincia in Via Tasso, it is obligatory to stop for a moment in front of the work 'The Great Cardinal'while in the courtyard you can admire a large Caravaggioas a reminder of the sculptor's esteem for the famous painter from Bergamo.
Let us also not forget "The Watching Woman', "Thebes lying in the oval", e 'Japanese head'These are testimonies of the extraordinary charm that made Manzù famous. Finally, note inside the courtyard of the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (Gamec) one of the sculptor's most famous works,'Lovers'.
Walking along the Sentierone, the monument to the Partisan, symbol of Bergamo's fight for freedom during the First World War, stands out in the middle of a flowerbed. Moving again in the direction of the suburb of St. Alexanderwe come to one of the main places in the artist's life: here we can visit the house where he spent his childhood with his father Angelo, a shoemaker and sacristan of the parish church of St Alexander in Colonna.
Artistic skill, creativity and originality characterised the entire Manzù family. The works of his son Pio have profoundly marked the history of Italian design. Examples are the Fiat 127 or the interior design objects used by Floss, Kartell and Alessi.
Documentary revealing the genius of Bergamo painter Lorenzo Lotto
Bergamo and culture: Lorenzo Lotto
One of the most positive consequences of Venetian dominance over the territories of Bergamo was certainly the relationship between Lorenzo Lotto and Bergamo. The artist, in fact, stayed in these places for about ten years - from 1513 to 1523 - which he ended up considering a second home.
Several masterpieces are the result of his presence in the city such as the Pala Martinengo at Church of St Bartholomew or the inlay designs of the choir of the Basilica of St. Mary Major. In the province, a short distance from the city, the polyptych of Ponteranica and the Celana shovel, as well as the incredible cycle of frescoes of the History of Santa Barbara (Trescore Balneario).
Bergamo and culture: Pope John XXIII
Born in Under the Mountainson of Giovanni Battista Roncalli and Mariana Mazzola, who grew up in a family of sharecroppers and peasants, the future pope managed to complete his studies by winning a scholarship at the Apollinare Seminary in Rome. He was then ordained a priest in the church of Santa Maria in Monte Santo, in Piazza del Popolo, in 1904. Later, he received various assignments in the diplomatic sphere due to his affability, eloquence and openness to dialogue.
After the death of Pope Pius XII, Roncallihe was elected Pope 28 October 1958. There are several episodes that marked his pontificate and have remained impressed in popular memory. Famous are the testimonies of the pontiff's visits to the sick children of the Roman Bambin Gesù hospital and those to the inmates of the Regina Coeli Roman prison.
In spite of the proposals and initiatives of his own councillors, who warned him to be patient and not to expose himself too much, Pope John decided to convene a council on 25 January 1959. The Second Vatican Council brought together Catholic cardinals, patriarchs and bishops from all over the world and is today considered one of the most important steps in the evolution of the Catholic Church towards modernity. Tenderly called by many the "Good Pope" due to his quiet disposition, John XXIII died on 3 June 1963. He was later declared blessed by Pope John Paul II on 3 September 2000 and proclaimed holy by Pope Francis on 27 April 2014 .
