Our plane landed at Bergamo airport, from where we headed straight to the city before continuing on to Verona. Although our final destination was the city of operas, we couldn’t miss the charm of Bergamo. We started the day with a cozy, typical Italian breakfast in the heart of the city; the smell of fresh coffee and pastries, mixed with the cool air of the medieval streets, provided the perfect foundation for the journey ahead. This short but memorable city tour immediately showed us the dual face of Northern Italy: the modern hustle and bustle and the untouched history.
One of the most unique features of Bergamo is its duality: the city consists of two clearly distinguishable parts. The Città Bassa is the modern, lower part of the city with its wide avenues and lively life, while the Città Alta is the medieval old town, perched on a hilltop. The two are connected not only by a steep road, but also by an iconic funicular (funicolare) that is over 130 years old. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the traveler stumbles upon centuries-old palaces and churches along the cobbled streets and narrow alleys, preserving the atmosphere as if time had stopped.
The monumental defenses that surround the city, the Mura Venete (Venetian Walls), were built in the 16th century, when Bergamo was the westernmost bastion of the Venetian Republic. This system of walls, over six kilometers long, commanded such respect that no one dared to besiege it throughout history, so the inner city survived the wars unscathed. Walking on the walls, we can not only admire a masterpiece of military architecture, but also a view of the entire Po Valley; on clear days, you can even see the skyscrapers of Milan.
Bergamo has left a lasting impression not only in terms of its appearance but also in terms of its taste. Few people know that the world-famous Stracciatella ice cream was invented here in 1961, in the famous La Marianna pastry shop. The city’s cultural pride is also the famous composer Gaetano Donizetti, who was born and worked here, and whose elegant opera house is now named after him. The local cuisine is also special: in addition to the polenta (cornmeal) typical of the area, the stuffed pasta called “Casoncelli” is a favorite of the locals, which with its sweet and savory filling is one of the most exciting dishes of Bergamo’s cuisine.
Milan
From Bergamo, we headed straight to Milan, the capital of Lombardy, as this was our base where we were staying. Although we had planned to do a day trip to Verona the next day, the afternoon and evening after our arrival provided an excellent opportunity to rediscover Milan. Despite having been to this vibrant metropolis several times before, we consciously focused on sights that we had missed during our travels. One of our most defining experiences was the monumental Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco), whose red brick walls brought the history of Renaissance Italy to life.
The story of the Sforza family is a classic tale of rise from medieval Italy. The founder of the dynasty, Muzio Attendolo, was a simple mercenary leader (condottiere) who was given the name “Sforza” (Strong) because of his strength. The real power of the family was established by his son, Francesco Sforza, who in 1450 acquired the title of Duke of Milan after marrying the last heir of the previous ruling house, the Visconti. During the Sforza reign, Milan became one of the most important centers of the European Renaissance; geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante worked at their court.
The Visconti originally built a castle on the site of the palace, but it was demolished by the people of Milan after the fall of the ducal family. It was Francesco Sforza who had it rebuilt from its ruins in the mid-15th century, not only for defensive purposes, but also to advertise the splendor of the monarchy. The central element of the castle, the iconic clock tower (Torre del Filarete), still dominates the cityscape today. Over the centuries, the palace has been a Spanish barracks, an Austrian fortress and a target for Napoleon’s armies, but having survived all the sieges and transformations, it is now home to one of Milan’s most important museum districts.
The palace’s interior holds amazing secrets. Here, for example, is the Sala delle Asse, whose ceiling was decorated with stunning frescoes depicting intertwined tree branches by Leonardo da Vinci, commissioned by Duke Ludovico Sforza. The Sforzas knew not only about war, but also about beauty: the castle’s courtyards and knights’ halls still exude the opulence that made Milan one of the richest states in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was a special experience to see how austere military architecture and delicate Renaissance art meet in these vast spaces.
