Welcome to I Segreti delle Mura (The Secrets of the Walls) the itinerary that guides you to discover the majestic city walls built in the 1500s by Venice to defend Bergamo, a UNESCO heritage site rich in history, special features and hidden gems. 

You are at Porta San Giacomo (point 1), the most elegant entrance to Upper Town. Once intended for travelers arriving from Milan, the gate has always stood out, clearly visible, against the panorama of the walls and the Orobian Alps thanks to the white Zandobbio marble that covers it. Over those who pass through it watches the Leone di San Marco, a recurring symbol of Venetian rule.

PORTA SAN GIACOMO

To follow the itinerary in the recommended direction, continue past the sign and stay on the sidewalk that flanks the walls. A pleasant walk of 640 meters awaits you, all the way to the Baluardo e Cannoniera di San Giovanni (point 2) meadow, under the surface of which lies one of the most exciting secrets of the ramparts. The entrance is on the side facing the street: descend the stairs and explore underground Bergamo!

BALUARDO E CANNONIERA DI SAN GIOVANNI

If, on the other hand, you are taking the route in the opposite direction and arriving from the embrasures, to continue turn your back on the sign and continue downhill toward Porta Sant’Agostino (point 13). In 1 km you will be able to admire its structure, both outside and inside.

PORTA SANT’AGOSTINO

You are at the Baluardo di San Giovanni, a few meters from the entrance to the embrasure of the same name (point 2).

BALUARDO E CANNONIERA DI SAN GIOVANNI

Once a defensive apparatus, this and the other bastions were turned into a green area about two centuries ago. Below its lawn, on the roadside, are the underground rooms of the gunnery: descend the metal stairs and discover the precious testimonies of military life and technique of the Venetian era, such as the maneuver room, the mouths for housing the cannons and the sortie. A plunge into the depths of Bergamo!When your visit is over, return to the sidewalk and continue uphill toward Colle Aperto. Before you reach the bend, look out from the walls and enjoy a rich panorama of the western districts, the plain and – on a clear day – even Milan. Then turn right and follow the last stretch of the avenue downhill. Soon you will reach Colle Aperto and Porta Sant’Alessandro (point 3), located 380 meters from the sign.

PORTA SANT’ALESSANDRO

If, on the other hand, you take the route in the opposite direction and arrive from Colle Aperto, keep the sign on your left and descend Viale delle Mura in the direction of Porta San Giacomo (point 1), the most elegant entrance to Upper Town.

PORTA SAN GIACOMO

You’ll find it on the right 630 meters from here. Further up the road you will cross another famous bastion, that of San Michele with its embrasure; at the end of the descent you will reach Porta Sant’Agostino, about 1 km from the sign.

You are at Colle Aperto, known for its wide view of the north side of Upper Town. A place so named because of demolitions in the early 1900s, which opened a gap in the walls to facilitate access to the built-up area of Castagneta.Immediately to your left stands Porta Sant’Alessandro (point 3), the western entrance to Upper Town. Built in the second half of the 1500s, it owes its name to the nearby basilica of Sant’Alessandro, which was torn down to make way for the city wall itself and is commemorated today by a single column.

PORTA SANT’ALESSANDRO

From the sign it is possible to take a short detour to see the Polveriera Superiore San Marco (point 4), another key point of Venetian defenses. Built in the late 1500s for storing gunpowder, it is fresh from restoration. To find it go straight, cross the street, then go up Via Beltrami to the traffic light: here you can cross again safely, finding yourself in front of the monument.

POLVERIERA SUPERIORE SAN MARCO

After the détour go back to the sign, continue past the newsstand to cross the street and, after 110 meters, you will reach the archway that marks the access to the ancient Cittadella Viscontea (point 5). Built in the 1300s by the Visconti family to consolidate their power over the city and defend against internal enemies, this fortress within a fortress contains two important civic museums and, although remodeled several times, also traces of Roman times.The itinerary will then continue to Piazza Mascheroni, past the Torre della Campanella.

CITTADELLA VISCONTEA

If you arrive from the square and have already seen the Polveriera, to continue on I Segreti delle Mura keep the sign on your left, go straight for 40 meters and, without crossing, turn right onto Viale delle Mura.Walking downward, you will soon be able to admire Lower Town and the plain from above, as well as visit the Baluardo e Cannoniera San Giovanni (point 2), 250 meters away. Once a defensive apparatus, now a green area, under its lawn lie cannon embrasures, a maneuvering room and other Venetian-era military environments that will make you relive the centuries of the Serenissima. The entrance to the cannon house is located on the sidewalk on the street side.

BALUARDO E CANNONIERA SAN GIOVANNI

You are in Piazza Mascheroni, or Piazza Nuova, once a market place. To your right begins Via Colleoni, the artery of the village: going 70 meters along it, on the left you will find the entrance to the former Monastero del Carmine (point 6), at the center of a major renovation project and the site of cultural events.

EX-MONASTERO DEL CARMINE

The itinerary, however, continues through the square, whose secrets we invite you to discover-the most unexpected, perhaps, is the ancient underground water cistern, identifiable only by its well tank. At the end of the avenue, turning right you can take Via della Boccola. Along it you will encounter other hidden fountains, walls of ancient monasteries, and you can sweep your gaze over the green area that embraces Porta San Lorenzo, the smallest and oldest gateway in the city walls, once favored by travelers from the valleys. Continue to the small church of San Lorenzo, which you’ll find on your right.

If you follow I Segreti delle Mura (The Secrets of the Walls) in the opposite direction and arrive from Via della Boccola, to reach your next stop go to the left of the sign, pass under the Torre della Campanella and enter the Cittadella Viscontea (point 5). Built in the 14th century by the Visconti family, it offers you not only a timeless atmosphere-among Roman-era pillars and medieval postern-but also two respectable civic museums, the Archeologico and the Caffi, dedicated to natural sciences.

CITTADELLA VISCONTEA

As you exit you’ll reach Colle Aperto and Porta S. Alessandro (point 3), 260 meters from this sign. From that point, with a detour of about 180 meters, you can visit another surprising feature of the fortifications, the Polveriera Superiore San Marco (point 4), one of the few Venetian military structures that have survived intact.

PORTA S. ALESSANDRO

POLVERIERA SUPERIORE SAN MARCO

You are on Via della Boccola, a narrow street that runs along the valley north of Upper Town. Its name is thought to derive from the Latin buccolae, the “springs” that flowed numerous here, feeding fountains such as that of the Lantro. A few steps from the sign, it crosses another street known for a spring, that of the Vàgine, further evidence of the richness of local water.

To reach the next stop, keep to the left and head down Via della Boccola to the small church of San Lorenzo. From there, thanks to a flight of steps, you can reach the eponymous Porta and Bastione.

If, on the other hand, you are coming right from Porta San Lorenzo, to follow the route go up Via della Boccola for 130 meters and turn left before Porta del Pantano Inferiore. You will find yourself in Piazza Mascheroni, once Piazza Nuova, guardian of another hidden water reserve: an underground cistern.At the end of the avenue, with an 80-meter detour to the left on Via Colleoni you will be able to see the Ex-monastero del Carmine (point 6), a majestic 15th-century monastery that housed a community of Carmelite Fathers and that, today, is a stage for cultural events.

EX-MONASTERO DEL CARMINE

Back on the square, you’ll have to pass under the Torre della Campanella and reach the Cittadella Viscontea (point 5), which will amaze you with all its treasures from the Roman, medieval and modern ages, including two civic museums on archaeology and natural sciences.

CITTADELLA VISCONTEA

Further on, finally, Porta S. Alessandro (point 3) and the Polveriera Superiore San Marco (point 4) await you.

PORTA S.ALESSANDRO

POLVERIERA SUPERIORE SAN MARCO

You are at the bottom of Via della Boccola, which runs along the northern side of the walls and still shows, in its name and architecture, signs of the presence of several natural springs. One of these fed the Lantro Fountain, now underground, whose entrance is on the right near the small church of San Lorenzo.

Going down the steps to the left of the sign, in 70 meters you will reach the intersection with Via della Fara. If you want, turning left again you can make a short detour to Porta San Lorenzo (point 7), the oldest and smallest of the entrances to Upper Town. The gate is also called Porta Garibaldi since, in 1859, the “Hunters of the Alps”-the military corps led by Giuseppe Garibaldi- crossed it to free Bergamo from Austrian rule.

PORTA SAN LORENZO

The itinerary continues by returning to Via della Fara. Walk along it for about 90 meters, then turn right and cross the street to enter Vicolo San Lorenzo. At the top, after another 300 meters, you will meet the thousand-year-old Torre del Gombito (point 8), now home to the tourist infopoint. Next, from the nearby Piazza Mercato del Fieno you can reach the former Convent of San Francesco (point 9), a 14th-century architectural masterpiece that houses two museums dedicated to the city’s history.

TORRE DEL GOMBITO

EX-CONVENTO DI SAN FRANCESCO

If you have already visited that part of Upper Town and take the itinerary in the opposite direction, turn your back to the sign and walk up Via della Boccola for 300 meters. At the top, Piazza Mascheroni will open to your left. Stroll under its tree-lined avenue, reach the Torre della Campanella, cross its portal and you will have reached the Cittadella Viscontea (point 5), an ancient stronghold of the Visconti family at the time of the Milanese domination of Bergamo.

CITTADELLA VISCONTEA

You are standing at the bottom of Vicolo San Lorenzo, which leads into the street of the same name, developed to connect the northern ramparts with the bustling center of Upper Town.Don’t let the climb discourage you: it is full of palaces and picturesque corners. At the top you’ll find the magnificent Torre del Gombito (point 8), built in the Middle Ages and now a tourist infopoint. It has towered with its rough body over the rooftops of the village for almost a millennium.

TORRE DEL GOMBITO

The itinerary will continue to Piazza Mercato del Fieno, located almost opposite: just turn back onto Via San Lorenzo and keep to the right. As the name suggests, the square was dedicated to a specific commercial sector and is full of surprises.

At the end, beyond the tower-houses and the bottleneck, you will find the former Convent of San Francesco (point 9), an architectural masterpiece built and decorated between the 14th and 17th centuries, now home to two museums dedicated to the history of the city.

CONVENT OF SAN FRANCESCO

If you are traveling along I Segreti delle Mura  (The Secrets of the Walls) in the opposite direction and you have found the sign coming from the top, cross the street, turn left, and proceed along the side of the walls. In about 100 meters you will reach the junction with Via alla Porta di San Lorenzo.

Turn right for a short détour to Porta San Lorenzo (point 7), the smallest-but perhaps also the most fascinating-of those in Upper Town. Also known as Porta Garibaldi since 1859, it was mostly used by travelers coming from the valleys. Did you know that, like the other gates, it was closed every day at 10 p.m. to ensure the safety of the inhabitants?

To continue on the main route instead, go straight ahead, climb the steps you will find 120 meters ahead, turn right and go all the way up Via della Boccola.

PORTA SAN LORENZO

You’re just a few meters from the Torre del Gombito (point 8): moving to the right, you’ll soon see it towering over the rooftops of Upper Town.

TORRE DEL GOMBITO

Built in the 12th century, it maintains the characteristic appearance of medieval defensive constructions and at 52 meters is the second tallest tower in Bergamo. Over the centuries its rooms have housed war activities, workshops and taverns. Today on the first floor you will find the tourist infopoint, soon to be joined by the UNESCO Visitor Centre: you are in the right place to get information, maps, souvenirs, and to book tours and tastings.

To continue the itinerary return to the Piazza Mercato del Fieno, immediately to the left of the sign. The place is known for its former commercial use and tower-houses. At the end, beyond the bottleneck, you will find the former Convent of San Francesco (point 9), an architectural masterpiece built and decorated between the 14th and 17th centuries, now home to the Museo della Fotografia Sestini and Bergamo 900. After visiting them, you can continue on Via Solata to reach, through the charming alleys of the village, the Rocca – Museo dell’800 (point 9).

CONVENT OF SAN FRANCESCO

ROCCA-MUSEO DELL’ 800

If, on the other hand, you explore the itinerary in the opposite direction and arrive from the former Convent, to continue turn your back to the sign and turn right onto Via San Lorenzo. After 300 meters downhill, always keeping to the left, the road will merge onto Via della Fara. With the pedestrian crossing, you will be able to reach the side of the walls and enjoy a scenic walk along the walls to Porta San Lorenzo.

You are in Piazza Mercato del Fieno, one of the characteristic views of Upper Town, over which two medieval tower-houses still stand watch. Immediately to the left is Casa Torre Calzani, recognizable by its beautiful mullioned window with balcony.The Ex-convent of San Francesco (point 9) awaits you just 60 meters past the sign. Get there and explore the Tombs Cloister, the well cloister and the panoramic terrace – spaces rich in art and history where time seems to stand still. Inside you can discover the area’s past through shots preserved by the Museo della fotografia Sestini and the Bergamo 900 multimedia rooms.

EX-CONVENT OF SAN FRANCESCO

Once you leave, turn left and continue on Via Solata, among stores, old taverns and the Fountain of Sant’Eufemia, now no longer in use. When you reach the small square over which the bell tower of S. Pancrazio and other tower houses stand, you will have to turn left and take the small road that goes up to the Rocca – Museo dell’800 (point 10), 400 meters from this sign. The city’s ancient fortress will amaze you with its viewpoints and museums.

ROCCA-MUSEO DELL’800

If, on the other hand, you are coming from the Rocca and have already visited the museums in the former Convent of San Francesco, to continue turn your back to the sign, cross the square and keep to the left until you enter Via Gombito.In front of you, right on the main crossroads (compitum) from the Roman era, stands the Torre del Gombito (point 8). With its original 64 meters it was the tallest tower in the city and remained so for 700 years, until the 19th century, when an intervention lowered it by 12 meters to consolidate its structure. It owes its name to its urban location, just like the nearby street, and today it awaits you with a tourist infopoint that is the point of reference for the village.

TORRE DEL GOMBITO

You are on Via Solata, one of the charming side streets of Upper Town. You are surrounded by remnants of a religious past, such as the bell tower of the Church of S. Pancrazio on your right, and a more warlike past, such as the tower houses that families once built to show their strength.To continue the route turn left, cross the small square and turn left again. Going up via alla Rocca, in 90 meters you will reach the Parco delle Rimembranze and the Rocca – Museo dell’800 (point 10). A park and museum full of memorabilia await you!

ROCCA-MUSEO DELL’800

If you follow the itinerary in the opposite direction, turn your back to the sign and take Via Solata. After a pleasant walk exploring historic buildings and fountains, such as the fountain of Sant’Eufemia on the right side, you’ll reach the Ex-convent of San Francesco (point 9), about 180 meters away. The 14th-century building will reveal to you not only breathtaking architecture and views, but also two must-see museums: the Museo della Fotografia Sestini, with both a scientific and historical exhibition circuit, and the multimedia Bergamo 900.  Cantiere di storie, dedicated to the events of the territory in the 20th century.

EX-CONVENT OF SAN FRANCESCO

You are on Via alla Rocca, one of the oldest parts of Upper Town, among bell towers and tower houses that are evidence of its complex past. The route takes you toward the Rocca – Museo dell’800 (point 10). Go up the road to the right of the sign and take the steps at the top. Surrounded by the Parco delle Rimembranze, the 14th-century fortress that will stand out before you displays clear traces of its ancient military function: walk along the patrol walkway, discover the rescue gate and enter the bomber’s house, now home to the Museo dell’Ottocento. Here collections of documents, paintings, clothing and objects of military use await you, telling the story of Bergamo’s Garibaldi era. Conclusion in beauty: the 360-degree view from the top of the keep!

ROCCA-MUSEO DELL’ 800

After your visit, return to Via alla Rocca and walk all the way until you run into Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe, then turn left and take Via Porta Dipinta. At the end, after walking alongside the meadow and Baluardo della Fara, you will find the Ex-monastery of Sant’Agostino (point 12), now home to the University of Bergamo.

EX-MONASTERY OF SANT’AGOSTINO

If, on the other hand, you arrive from Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe and have already seen the Rocca, to continue proceed to the left and then turn immediately right onto Via Solata. This ancient street will let you discover unexpected corners among tower-houses and fountains almost as old as Città Alta, such as that of S. Eufemia, located on the right before the bottleneck. After 180 meters you will reach the Ex-convent of San Francesco (point 9), a wonderful monastery that now houses the Museo della Fotografia Sestini and the multimedia Bergamo 900.

EX-CONVENTO DI SAN FRANCESCO

You are in Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe, on the route of I Segreti delle Mura, one of the main itineraries for visiting the city of Bergamo. A point of arrival and departure thanks to the Funicular, whose station is on the right, the square also played a key role in the past, as a center of commerce and junction of the routes from Venice and Milan that reached Upper Town.

To continue in the recommended direction take Via Porta Dipinta, up ahead on the right. Here a descent of about 500 meters begins along what was one of the main access roads to the village, famous for the frescoed gateway that opened in the medieval city walls, demolished in the 19th century.

Eventually, past the wide meadow of the Fara, you will reach the Baluardo and the Ex-monastero di Sant’Agostino, a 13th-century building that belonged to various religious orders and now houses a public university.

If you are traveling in the opposite direction and have just come up from via Porta Dipinta , your next stop is the Rocca – Museo dell’800 (point 10), 130 meters away.

ROCCA-MUSEO DEL’800

Take the small road that is almost in front of you, next to the religious shrine, and continue straight up to the top. From there, via a flight of steps, you will reach  Parco delle Rimembranze. In addition to enjoying incredible panoramic views from both the walls and the fortress, you will be able to discover the many facets of 19th-century Bergamo thanks to the testimonies of the museum rooms, which display objects, documents and military items in use at the time.

Next, you will have to reach Via Solata and walk down it for about 220 meters before finding the Ex-convent of San Francesco (point 9), where two more important historical museums await you.

EX-CONVENT OF SAN FRANCESCO

You’re on the route of I Segreti delle Mura, the itinerary that guides you to discover the majestic city walls built in the 1500s by Venice to defend Bergamo, a UNESCO heritage site rich in history, peculiarities and hidden gems and more.

If you came down from Via Porta Dipinta and have already seen Porta San Giacomo, to end this circular itinerary turn your back to the sign, walk 20 meters cross to turn right onto Viale delle Mura. You’ll reach the majestic Porta Sant’Agostino (point 13), the main gateway to Upper Town, at the top floor of which is a vast room that once housed the military guards and is now one of the sites of the PanoramaMura route, a project to enhance the UNESCO World Heritage Walls.

PORTA SANT’AGOSTINO

After the gate, an 850-meter walk through greenery awaits you, accompanied by breathtaking views.

If, on the other hand, you take the itinerary in the opposite direction and arrive through the monumental gate, the Baluardo di S. Agostino (St. Augustine’s Bastion) and the picturesque route of Via Porta Dipinta  await you.

Continue straight ahead on the sidewalk for about 50 meters to the clearing. On your right you will find the majestic bulk of the Ex-Monastero di Sant’Agostino (point 12), a complex founded around 1290 by the Eremitani fathers and then handed over to the Osservanti Regolari in 1407. Over the centuries it has maintained its cultural vocation, eventually entering the circuit of the University of Bergamo. To its left is the Baluardo della Fara: if you want, you can reach it with a short detour by keeping to the sidewalk that runs along the walls for about 300 meters. A pleasant walk in the green!

EX- MONASTERO DI SANT’AGOSTINO

Back in Piazzale S. Agostino, to continue you will have to turn your back on the church, cross the street and go up Via Porta Dipinta. This will begin one of the most beautiful portions of the itinerary, on the path of which you will immediately encounter the meadow of the Fara, then the house-tower of Porta Sub-Foppis, the medieval Church S. Michele al Pozzo Bianco, the Church S. Andrea and Palazzo Moroni, just to mention the main monuments.