Aww Italy, Part II

 

Bergamo

In my two previous trips to Italy, I became enchanted with the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. Because our plans to go south from Milan changed, we looked for a hill town near Milan which landed us in Bergamo Città Alta (the hill town surrounded by 16th-century Venetian Walls.) The train station is in the lower modern city, so getting up to the Bergamo Alta meant finding the funicular or getting a taxi. 

We rented a very nice room just down the street from the pictured mustard colored building. With these small unmarked streets, it's very helpful to have a memory of where and when to turn! 

As you can see, it is a popular tourist spot, but we found it interesting to sit at a piazza and watch the families, dogs and couples wandering by.

The most famous piece of architecture here is the Santa Maria Maggiore. Because of the way the town is built, you never get a complete view of the Basilica and the walk around it includes other buildings which are attached to one another. 

Built in the 1500s, it has some astounding art/sculptures.

One of the great things about this town is that you can walk around the entire hill town, following the Venetian Wall.  It is also a way to get free of other tourists! (Being country folks, Mike and I always look for ways to away from the crowds.) 

I hope you enjoy the views

St. James Gate, made of polished marble!

Next Stop, Verona!