Piazza Vecchia is the symbol of the city. It existed from as early as the 14th century and reached its present form during the Venetian domination. The southern side of the square is dominated by the Palazzo della Ragione, the symbol of the period of the Commune; the Civic Tower (12th-15th centuries), also known as the “Campanone” or “Big Bell” looms up on the right beside the old Domus Suardorum (14th – 15th centuries), today the seat of the University of Bergamo. The northern side of the square is closed by a seventeenth-century building with a white marble façade. Built as the seat of the Town Hall, the building today houses the “A. Mai” Civil Library, with about half a million volumes and a precious Tasso Collection. The spectacular square is completed by the elegant fountain which was donated by the Venetian Podestà Alvise Contarini (18th century). Behind the Palazzo della Ragione, the Piazzetta del Duomo opens up with very important monuments.
                                          

The Cathedral, designed by Filarete, has been modified several times over the centuries. The decoration of the interior was not completed until the end of the 19th century. The Chapel of the Crucifix, with a 16th century crucifix, is exquisite, as is the apse where there are seven large paintings including The Martyrdom of St. John, Bishop of Venice, by G. B. Tiepolo.
In the Piazzetta del Duomo, a polychromatic marble prothyrum with column-bearing lions by Giovanni da Campione, marks the access to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (12th century). Inside, there are rich tapestries, a Baroque confessional by Andrea Fantoni, the tomb of Gaetano Donizetti and his teacher Simon Mayr. The 16th century intarsia of the choir and iconostasis by G.F. Capoferri and Giovanni Belli, to designs by Lorenzo Lotto, are of great quality.
Next to the Basilica is the Colleoni Chapel (15th century). Built to a design by G.B.Amadeo, the chapel is the mausoleum of the famous condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The polychromatic marble façade which is linked with the prothyrum of the basilica and the rich decoration, evokes the adventurous life of the condottiere and is a magnificent example of Lombardy renaissance art.
At the side of the Colleoni Chapel, staircase leads to the entrance of the Diocesan Administration. After crossing the richly frescoed Aula della Curia (The Room of the Administration) (11th-12th centuries), a courtyard is reached which has in its centre the small temple of the Holy Cross built around the 11th century and reworked in the 16th century.
The last building adorning the Piazzetta del Duomo is the baptistery. Built in 1340 by G. da Campione as a baptismal basin for the basilica it was, after many events, rebuilt in the place where it stands today. The interior has interesting high-reliefs illustrating the life of Christ. The baptismal font and the statue of St. John the Baptist are also by G. da Campione.

PIAZZA VECCHIA - PIAZZA DEL DUOMO: Information
How to get to Città Alta:

from Piazzale Marconi (railway station) and from Porta Nuova
bus 1 + funicular railway
bus 1 Colle Aperto
by car, the following route: Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII -
Viale V. Emanuele - Porta S. Agostino - Viale delle mura - Colle aperto