Permanent reminder of genius of Donizetti

Not to be missed in Bergamo’s Città Bassa…

DONIZETTI MONUMENT AND THEATRE

Teatro Donizetti

Opera lovers will not want to miss paying a visit to the monument to composer Gaetano Donizetti in Bergamo’s Città Bassa (lower town).

It was erected in 1897 in Piazza Cavour, off the Sentierone, to commemorate the first anniversary of Donizetti’s birth.

An imposing structure in white marble, it depicts the composer sitting on a bench gazing at the figure of a female playing the lyre.

Set in the middle of a pond and surrounded by plants and trees, the monument is inscribed simply ‘A Gaetano Donizetti’.

You could almost imagine that the prolific composer of operas is looking longingly past the mythical musician in the direction of the nearby theatre, which was renamed Teatro Donizetti in his honour after his death.

The creator of Donizetti’s monument was Calabrian Francesco Ierace, who won a competition for the best design. His plaster model of the monument, along with the other competition entries, is among the exhibits in the Donizetti Museum in Via Arena in the Città Alta (upper town).

In November 2011, during Bergamo’s annual music festival, a production of Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan will be staged at the theatre.

The tragic melodrama in three acts by Salvadore Cammarano with music by Gaetano Donizetti, will be presented on the evening of Friday, 18 November and the afternoon of Sunday, 20 November.

One of Donizetti’s lesser known works, the opera portrays dramatic events during the reign of Louis XIII of France. It was premiered in Vienna on 5 June, 1843.

For more information visit www.teatrodonizetti.it

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Bergamo street reminds shoppers of historic day

Elegant buildings are typical of
Via XX Settembre

One of the main thoroughfares in the Città Bassa in Bergamo is Via XX Settembre, which leads from Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the centre to Largo Nicolo Rezzara at the lower end of Via Sant’Alessandro.

Dubbed ‘the shopping street’ by the Bergamaschi because of the wealth of smart shops that line both sides, Via XX Settembre is actually named after an important event in Italy’s history.

It was on 20 September 1870 that Italian troops under Victor Emanuel II finally entered Rome and completed the unification of Italy.

Rome had remained under French control even after the first Italian parliament had proclaimed Victor Emanuel of Savoy the King of Italy, despite repeated events by nationalists to liberate it.

But after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war Napoleon III withdrew his troops. Italian soldiers seized their chance and after a brief bombardment were able to enter Rome through a breach in the walls at Porta Pia.

Victor Emanuel II took up residence in the Quirinale Palace and Italy was declared officially united.

Shoppers can celebrate the anniversary today in the department stores, book shops, gift shops, jewellery shops and fashion shops located in Via XX Settembre. Top names gracing the elegant street include Calvin Klein, Stefanel, Benetton, Max Mara, Luisa Spagnoli, Marina Rinaldi and Sisley.

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See masterpiece by Lorenzo Lotto

Not to be missed in Bergamo’s Città Alta…

San Michele al Pozzo Bianco

SAN MICHELE AL POZZO BIANCO (St Michael at the White Well)

The church of San Michele al Pozzo Bianco in Bergamo houses one of the greatest works by Renaissance artist Lorenzo Lotto.

Lotto is believed to have enjoyed the happiest and most productive period of his life while living in Bergamo between 1513 and 1525.

The Venetian-born painter became famous for his altar pieces, paintings of religious subjects and portraits.

While in Bergamo he lived near San Michele al Pozzo Bianco, which is probably why this ancient church contains one of his most important works, a series of frescoes entitled Vita di Maria (history of the life of the Virgin Mary).

A short walk down Via Porta Dipinta from Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe in the Città Alta (upper town) takes you to Largo San Michele al Pozzo Bianco.

The church, devoted to Saint Michael, dates back to the eighth century, but was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The stone façade was completed during restoration work carried out early in the 20th century, but the interior still has many medieval features, such as brick archways and an open truss roof.

The chapel devoted to the Virgin Mary, to the left of the altar, is entirely decorated with frescoes by Lorenzo Lotto.

San Michele contains many other beautiful 15th and 16th century frescoes and is a popular choice for weddings.

It is believed the church derived its name from a well that used to stand in the middle of the square and probably took water from the same cistern that filled the 13th century fountain in nearby Via Osmano.

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Visit elegant 16th century palace

The terrace at Palazzo Terzi

Not to be missed in Bergamo's Città Alta...

PALAZZO TERZI

Palazzo Terzi is said to be the most important baroque building in Bergamo and is well worth a visit. It is tucked away in a quiet square behind Santa Maria Maggiore in the Città Alta (upper town).

The elegant palace, which is still a private residence, was begun in the 16th century and modified in the 17th and 18th centuries.

From the Piazza Terzi, it is possible to look through the wrought iron gates of the palace’s elegant inner courtyard (pictured), which leads out on to a magnificent terrace adorned with marble statues and balustrading overlooking the plains below.

The Piazza Terzi, with its imposing entrance to the palace, was referred to by German novelist and poet Hermann Hesse as ‘the most beautiful corner of Italy’, when he came across it unexpectedly during a visit to Bergamo in 1913.

The palace has also impressed the many aristocratic figures that have stayed there, including Francis 1, Emperor of Austria.

During the summer some of the rooms in the Palazzo Terzi are open to visitors on Sundays, when treasures such as frescoes attributed to Tiepolo and 16th and 17th century tapestries can be viewed.

For up to date information about opening times, check with the Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche (Tourist Information Office) in Via Gombito or visit www.turismo.bergamo.it

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Sentierone is perfect for la passeggiata

Not to be missed in Bergamo’s Citta Bassa…

VIA SENTIERONE

The elegant tree-lined Via Sentierone

The Sentierone, which means broad path, links Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the centre of the Città Bassa (lower town) with Via Torquato Tasso, a road that leads into the oldest quarter, where there are 15th and 16th century buildings.

Piazza Vittoria Veneto is dominated by the Torre dei Caduti, a tower built as a war memorial in the 1920s and positioned so that it did not spoil the view of the skyline of the Città Alta (upper town).

As you walk along the Sentierone in the direction of Via Torquato Tasso you will see shops and bars behind elegant colonnades on your left and the Teatro Donizetti and a little garden with a memorial to the composer on your right.

The Sentierone was built in the 16th century and used as a site for a fair which was attended by merchants and travellers from all over Italy and Europe. It was also traditionally the place where carriages were parked and horses allowed to take their rest.

The elegant colonnades were built in the 1920s and provide the perfect place to relax with a drink and watch the smartly dressed Bergamaschi go by enjoying una passeggiata.

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Bergamo celebrates Sant’Alessandro festival

Porta Sant'Alessandro

Every year on 26 August,  Bergamo commemorates the date in AD298 that patron saint Sant’Alessandro was martyred by the Romans for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

It is believed Alessandro was a devout citizen who had continued to preach in Bergamo, despite several narrow escapes, but was eventually caught and suffered decapitation.

A series of religious, cultural and gastronomic events will takes place in his name over several days throughout the city, which will be decorated with festive lights.

In 2010 for the first time there was a re-enactment of Alessandro’s execution in full costume at the place where it is believed to have been carried out, in Via Sant’Alessandro, where the church of Sant’Alessandro in Colonna now stands.

A Roman column outside the church marks the spot where the decapitation is said to have happened.

Porta Sant’Alessandro, which leads from the Città Alta (upper town) to Borgo Canale and San Vigilio, was built in the 16th century in memory of the saint. It was named after a fourth century cathedral that had originally been dedicated to the saint but was later demolished.

The gate became a checkpoint manned by customs officers, who would tax farmers from outside the city bringing in vegetables, eggs, chickens and wine to sell to residents of the Città Alta.

Roman column marks spot where saint was martyred

Not to be missed in Bergamo’s Citta Bassa…

SANT' ALESSANDRO IN COLONNA

Sant' Alessandro in Colonna by night

A Roman column in front of Chiesa di Sant’Alessandro in Colonna is believed to mark the exact spot where Bergamo’s patron saint was martyred by the Romans for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.
The column in Via Sant’Alessandro in Bergamo's Città Bassa (lower town) was constructed in the 17th century from Roman fragments. There are different theories about where the pieces came from.

Every year on 26 August Bergamo remembers Sant’Alessandro’s decapitation in 298. Last year for the first time there was a re-enactment of the event in full costume at the scene.

The church of Sant’Alessandro in Colonna was rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of an earlier church. Its ornate campanile was completed at the beginning of the 20th century.

The church houses a work depicting the martyrdom of Sant’Alessandro by Enea Salmeggia and one showing the transporting of Sant’Alessandro’s corpse by Gian Paolo Cavagna. It also contains paintings by Lorenzo Lotto and Romanino.

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