See all Attractions in Bergamo
Piazza Vecchia
About
The Piazza Vecchia - the heart of the old town, displaying a mix of medieval and Renaissance architecture. Piazza Vecchia is the genuine heart of the city. Its beauty and the balanced proportion of volumes and lines that make it unforgettable are not the result of the genius of some architect, but are due to its shaping by generations of Bergamask people, in a succession of art and history. Your eye is immediately drawn to the beautiful white marble Contarini fountain in the centre, and the alignment of the buildings along the two sides directs your sight towards Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason) at the end of the square. The facade of this twelfth century building is dominated by the symbolic lion of Venice, a reminder of the centuries of historic, cultural and economic relations between the two cities. Standing tall in a corner is the Civic Tower, known also as the “Campanone”, or big bell, a landmark infused with civic meaning, as demonstrated by the 180 times the large bell tolls each evening to mark the ancient curfew. This square was the seat of political and administrative power until the nineteenth century, and is overlooked by Palazzo del Podestà, the residence of Venetian rulers, and the Town Hall, which can be identified by its impressive marble façade and which today houses the Civic Library.
