Bergamo, Italy; The WalkinIta Experience Part 1
January 20, 2025Bergamo, Italy, is the 2nd most visited city in Lombardy. Only Milan outrivals it.
The Sights
We saw a lot in a short space of time, from the woolly mammoth in the Science Museum, to the hidden Roman mosaic under the glass floor in hair accessory shop. Chiara’s enthusiasm for Bergamo and its many delights was infectious. We cheekily ran up the stairs of Il Circolino to view the painted ceiling of their meeting room. It’s a wonderful place for dinner, I've previously dined here, and the garden has mountain views. A perfect place to wine and dine on a warm evening.
Strolling the streets, we discovered the Tomba (crazy paving made from broken tombstones), traced our star signs at ‘Il sottostante orologio solare’, and found ourselves bemused by the smallest house in the square. Chiara also found an open door that is usually closed... fortune smiled upon us, Palazzo Terzi presented us with the most wonderful viewpoint!
Gallery
The Delights
Amongst all of this excitement, as we climbed the stairs for the best viewpoint of Santa Maria Maggiore, we found a plaque in the wall that was similar to the Starbucks logo. Did the founder visit Bergamo before they created their logo? It’s not known if there’s a link to the Starbucks logo or if it is sheer coincidence.
One of my most amusing memories from our day was when I got to rub the lucky triple testicles of Bartolomeo Colleoni’s coat of arms. It’s said that his war cry was “Coglia! Coglia! Coglia!” which translates to “Balls! Balls! Balls!” (English slang for testes). Obviously had to have a tourist pose here, touching the worn metal as many had done before me.
More to See
We had the honour of experiencing Yayoi Kusama’s art exhibit which provided a stark contrast with the ancient artwork on the building’s walls. Bergamo has a lot of Modern Art pieces dotted around, one of my favourite pieces can be found at 'Monumento alla lente' - we had to pose, pics here!
An early dinner saw us eating at Vineria Cozzi. Quirky adornments, including repurposed food tins, tarot cards, and masks, set the scene in this beautiful restaurant. I thoroughly recommend the food here, and the staff never fail to pair a wine with your dish.
Alla Prossima
We finished the evening with an impromptu decision to go candle painting. This brought a real eclectic mix of wonderful women from all over the world together, supporting each other in all manners. A wonderful way to close out the evening, I think we both slept well after such an adventurous day!
If you want to improve your Italian but dislike traditional lessons, I can confirm that this is a fun alternative, and it never felt like I was in a lesson. With plenty of laughs, and a surprising amount of Italian progress, this is a great way to break up the monotony of rote learning.
Grazie mille per tutto, Chiara. È stato meraviglioso e ho avuto una bella giornata con te. Il tempo vola quando ci si diverte!
If you'd like more information, please contact Chiara directly, HERE - or find her on Social Media to gain more of an insight in to her lessons.
