The guided tour of Bergamo will focus in its historic centre in the upper part of the town, connected by the funicular, protected by beautiful perfectly preserved walls and towers. It starts from the Shoe Market Square, one of the oldest squares in the town which in the Visconti era took the name of the products that were sold; nearby we can admire the Gombito Tower used for defence in medieval times and then transformed into a commercial building, and the ancient wash house, a small 19th century marble jewel.
Walking through the high streets full of typical shops and pastry shops with Bergamo sweets and the stracciatella ice cream born right here, we arrive at Piazza Vecchia with the beautiful Contarini Fountain in the centre, donated in the 18th century by the Podestà of Venice with the sphinxes and four symbolic lions of Venice on the sides and the eighteenth-century sundial in marble on the pavement.
In this majestic square of the town's political power, we find the Civic Tower, also called Campanone, which with its 53 metres high is one of the tallest in Europe and a symbol of Bergamo that rings every evening in memory of the ancient curfew; we can also admire externally the Palace of the Podestà which today is a multimedia museum and the Palace of the Ragione, the oldest municipal building in Italy, also transformed into a court with inside the frescoes by Bramante that in the past decorated the facade of the Palace of the Podestà.
After passing through the arcades, we arrive in Piazza Duomo to admire the exterior of the Church of Saint Maria Maggiore, one of the landmarks of Upper Bergamo. We take a closer look at its striking Gothic façade, the entrance portals adorned with beautiful marble lions, and the architectural details that reflect the long history of the church; next to the church we discover the Colleoni Chapel, a marvel of the Italian Renaissance with paintings by Tiepolo, the majestic Colleoni Sarcophagus and the legend of the leader's family symbol. We continue the tour by visiting the Cathedral dedicated to St. Alexander with its white facade and inside splendid paintings, tapestries and the Chapel of the Crucifix not to be missed.
We end the guided tour with a walk to the Venetian walls, an extraordinary defence system of the Upper Town built by the Venetians in the 1500s to defend against external attacks, where you can enjoy panoramic views and find four access gates; the most beautiful is Porta San Giacomo in white marble, a triumphal arch with the winged lion of San Marco.
