Bergamo, Viale delle Mura

Imposing testimony of the very close relationship that bound Bergamo to the Venetian Republic, the walls were erected in the second half of the 16th century, by order of the Venetian Senate and under the general direction of General Sforza Pallavicino. Designed as a defensive structure, the walls represented a very clear political signal from the Venetians to the Spaniards (governing Milan at the time). The limitation of the town walls did not allow for the creation of an army of a size sufficient to attack the Milan territory, but was enough to defend the stationing already acquired. The message must have come across because the walls were never really used for military purposes. Thanks to their capacity to preserve the inhabited centre during the centuries, the beauty of the ancient city can still be admired.
Going along the entire town walls one can enjoy pleasant landscape views and experience interesting encounters with testimonies of the past. Upon leaving the walls one can penetrate and proceed to discover the Città Alta -High City- from the Viale delle Mura, (Road of the Walls); going through Via San Giacomo,(Saint James Road) one can reach for example Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe (Square of the Shoe Market) and then Piazza Vecchia,(Old Square) one of the most beautiful Squares in all of Lombardy.
Coming from the Città Bassa -Low City-, one encounters the Porta Sant'Agostino -Saint Augustine Door-; from here, going through the Viale delle Mura, after passing the Porta San Giacomo, (Door of Saint James) the Colle Aperto is reached (Open Hillside), a panoramic site from which one can admire the view of Bergamo immersed in the greenery of the hillsides. After Porta Sant'Alessandro -Door of Saint Alexander-, one enters Via Fara, that leads to the fourth and last door of the walls, the Porta San Lorenzo or Porta Garibaldi.