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Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore –Bergamo Alta (Upper Bergamo) |
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Standing in the heart of Città Alta, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is considered the most important monument in the city.
The position in the centre of the city denotes the importance of this place of worship. For a long time, Piazza Duomo was, until the nearby Piazza Vecchia was built, the centre of the civil and religious life of the city with the Cathedral, the Basilica and Palazzo della Ragione bordering it.
Built in the 12th century on a vow to the Virgin Mary, the basilica has preserved on the exterior its original Romanesque structure. The plan is a Greek cross, but the interior, modified in the 16th and 17th centuries, is sumptuous. Many artists worked on it: from Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany and even foreigners.
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There are two entrances to the basilica which are decorated by the splendid polychromatic marble prothyra by Giovanni da Campione (1353-60).
There are many fine works inside. The choir stalls and the intarsia of the iconostasis, which illustrate Biblical stories, were completed between 1524 and 1555 by the master carvers G. F. Capoferri and G. Belli following the designs by Lorenzo Lotto: the different colours are due to the different types of wood used, whilst the nuances of colour and depth of image were obtained by herbal infusions and hot sand.
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In the transept there are fourteenth century frescoes by an unknown author of the Lombardy school (Stories of St. Egidio, The Last Supper, The tree of St. Bonaventura). The large 14th century Crucifix hanging on the balustrade of the presbytery is also by an unknown artist.
Splendid Florentine and Flemish tapestries decorate the walls of the basilica. At the end of the nave there are the funeral monuments of the famous composer G. Donizetti and his teacher Simon Mayr.
In the left nave, the rich baroque confessional by Andrea Fantoni (1704-1705) presents an apology of confession.
SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE: information
Piazza Duomo - sacristy tel. 035/22.33.27. Entrance free of charge.
Opening hours: from 1/11 to 31/3 from Monday to Friday: 9.00 a.m. -12.30 p.m.; 2.30 p.m. – 5.00 p.m. Saturday: 9.00 a.m. -12.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. -6.00 p.m. Sundays and public holidays 9.00 a.m. -12.45 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m..
From 1st April to 31st October: 9.00 a.m. -12.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. -6.00 p.m. every day.
Holy Masses: weekdays: 10.00 a.m. holidays: 11.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon (visits are not allowed during the services)
After the 7.30 a.m. mass, the Basilica is closed until 9.00 a.m..
How to reach Città Alta:
from Piazzale Marconi (railway station) and Porta Nuova
bus 1 + funicular or
bus 1A for Colle Aperto
by car: Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII - Viale V. Emanuele - Porta S. Agostino - Viale delle mura.
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