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!

Aww Italy, Part I

I recently returned from a great trip to Italy. Mike and I have both been to Italy before, but this trip took us to new places, all in Northern Italy. We are fortunate to have a nephew and his wife living in Milan, so our visit started and ended there. 

Milano

The Duomo di Milano is the most famous structure in Milan and is the largest cathedral in Italy. This stunning Gothic architecture cathedral took almost 600 years to build! The stonework is unbelievable. 

Italian Alps

We spent a short time in Milan at the beginning of our trip, as we knew we would be back. We were excited to go into the Alps. Our relatives have a small but wonderfully located cabin in the mountains.

Cabin in the Alps

 

Wayne and Yoshiko, owners of the cabin.
(Wayne, if you didn't want this to go public, Sorry!)

.

I'm not in Oregon!

We visited many small villages, where the history goes back beyond the Dark Ages. The astounding rock work to create the buildings is unforgettable. Having done a bit of rock work around our house myself, it is hard to imagine the labor done without any power tools, cranes, or forklifts!

My sister Janice admiring a stone roof top.

San Gaudenzio Church dates back to the 12th and 13th century.
The Romanesque facade is completely stone. 

And then there are the historic stories such as Hannibal's crossing of the Alps in 218 BC. When you see the Alps, it is really hard to imagine!

One more recent story comes from the small village of Goglio. At the end of World War II, members of the Italian Resistance Movement were trying to escape the pursuit of the German Army. As they rode in a funicular toward the boarder of Italy and Switzerland, the funicular failed and many of the Italians were killed. This little spot in the world captured my heart with the story and the one room museum full of art and the remains of the funicular.

Goglio, Italy

Paintings done by a local artist Angelo Bersani

Here are a few more photos of "Aww Italy, Part I." Next we will move on to Bergamo Alta.

Santuario di Re Madonna del Sangue

Mike down in a crevice. 

Towns we visited: Domodossela, Premia, Crodo, Baceno, Goglio, Oria, Croveo