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| Religious itineraries in the city and province |
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Itineraries in the city and province Lying between the last part of the Lombardy plain and the chain of the Alps, the Bergamo region is a very religious land. Not so well known as other places, it came to attention when in 1958 a Pope from the Bergamo region was elected, John XXIII. A very intense flow of visitors began to Sotto il Monte, then a small country town, half on the plain and half in the hills and public opinion discovered the roots of an extraordinary Pope, whose thoughts constantly turned from the Vatican to the Bergamo area, its people and its traditions. In the province of Bergamo, there are no fewer than one hundred and six sanctuaries dedicated to the Madonna alone. Some are very well known, like that of Our Lady of the Spring of Caravaggio, which is a destination for pilgrims from all over Italy and different European countries. Others are known at regional level, like that of Cornabusa, in Cepino, in the Imagna Valley , or of the Blessed Virgin of the Graces in Ardesio, in the Seriana Valley, whilst others are only known provincially or locally. Mostly founded centuries ago, the Bergamo sanctuaries are at the centre of age-old and confirmed traditions. Many have been lost, others are renewed every year, the expression of a real, deep faith. It is the same faith that guides so many pilgrims to large and small sanctuaries, rich in works of art or simple like country churches, following the order of the celebrations and seasonal skies. No less rich is the religious, art and historical heritage of the hundreds of churches that dot the Bergamo area. Caravaggio Caravaggio is famous because it was the birthplace of Michelangelo Merisi, known as "Caravaggio", one of the greatest masters of painting of all times. Its fame is also linked to the grandiose sanctuary built on the spot where the Virgin Mary, on 26th May 1432, appeared to a local woman, Giovanetta Varoli. A spring immediately gushed and today millions of pilgrims today draw water at the spring, the sign of that far-off event. The original path in the middle of the fields of Caravaggio that led to the place of the miracle was replaced by the splendid tree-lined avenue which, almost 30 metres wide, leads to the sanctuary from the Padana Superiore main road. At the centre of attention is the Holy Spring, placed directly under the great altar. The statues of the Virgin Mary and of Giovanetta recall the extraordinary conversation between the Lady of the Fountain and the country woman. The spring gushes from under the feet of Mary, and provides water to the Holy Spring and to the two outdoor pools. A million and a half pilgrims come to the sanctuary of Caravaggio every year, with the greatest number (50-60,000 people) on 26th May, the anniversary of the Apparition. The Church and Convent of St. Bernardino were built in the 15th century in Caravaggio to recall the Franciscan friar who brought peace to the local populations. The church is decorated with many 16th century frescoes. In the sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears of Treviglio, there is the image of the Virgin Mary from which, on 28th February 1522, tears flowed as French troops were about to destroy everything. The General commanding them stopped the soldiers and Treviglio was saved. Sotto il Monte Giovanni XXIII To those arriving from the plain, the village of Sotto il Monte Giovanni XXIII appears dominated by the tower of St. John. Originally it was a small fortress, linked to the first formation of the Commune, then becoming the bell tower of the first parish church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The old church was demolished when the new one began to be built, and the bell-tower, 11 metres high, remains as precious evidence of Romanesque art. In the twilight of 29th October 1958, the hill of St. John was dotted with bonfires. The inhabitants were expressing the joy of their village, chosen as the birthplace of a Pope. Since then, Sotto il Monte has changed a lot, but the memory left by John XXIII, called the “good Pope” by everyone, has stayed the same. The places where Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli spent his childhood and to which he always returned, until 1958, are still visited today be many pilgrims. The most popular destinations are the Palazzo, the small farm where he was born and Ca’ Maitino, the summer residence where he stayed as a bishop and cardinal. The Palazzo, where Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born on 25th November 1881, is in the care of the Missionary Fathers of the Pontifical Institution for Foreign Missions (Pime): it has remained intact with all its rustic nature and the typical appearance of a farmhouse. Ca’ Maitino was the summer residence of Mons. Roncalli when he was a bishop and cardinal: the Suore delle Poverelle (Sisters of the poor women) cherish memories, personal objects and some of the gifts offered to the Pope. The abbey of St. Egidio is one of the places in Sotto il Monte that was dearest to Pope John. Surrounded by woods and vineyards, it was built on the slopes of Mount Canto in 1080; consecrated in 1090, it became the seat of the priorate five years later. It has the typical structure of proto-Romanesque Cistercian churches. Pontida: Benedictine monastery The Basilica of St. James, with alongside the Benedictine monastery, in Pontida, in the heart of the San Martino Valley, has very ancient origins. According to tradition, the abbey was the seat of the famous oath (7th June 1167) by the cities of Lombardy against the Emperor. Imagna Valley : Sanctuary of the Madonna of Cornabusa The sanctuary of the Madonna of Cornabusa, in the Imagna valley, standing in a huge cave, is the most characteristic of the whole of the Bergamo region. For centuries it has been at the centre of the devotion of the valley’s inhabitants; the destination of a large number of pilgrimages, once a year emigrants also gather there.   The faithful come from other regions and countries for its fame. Pope John XXIII was particularly devoted to Cornabusa, where he halted in prayer a few days before his election. This is also one of the reasons why the sanctuary is included in the itineraries that the pilgrims follow in the search for places dear to Pope John. Closed all winter due to the bad road, the sanctuary of Cornabusa is reopened every year on Easter Monday. Those arriving for the first time, as they approach, notice the bell tower, but once they have arrived, they see no trace of the sanctuary. You have to follow a road cut in the rock and only at the end the sight of a large cavern opens up before your eyes. In the past there was a church inside. Between 1350 and 1400, the Imagna Valley was the theatre of very violent struggles between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. The history of the sanctuary of Cornabusa relates that an old woman looked for refuge in a grotto, taking a statue of Our Lady of the Sorrows, which stayed there even after the return of peace. Years afterwards, a deaf and dumb shepherd girl entered the grotto, discovering the statue. When she returned home, she regained speech and hearing and told her family about what had happened. They went to the grotto, seeing that the girl had told the truth. The news spread in the valley and in a short time a lively devotion sprang up. A first chapel was built in the grotto, and then enlarged and decorated. The statue of the Our Lady of the Sorrows is made of wood and is about 80 centimetres high. Subjected to detailed tests, it is of Tuscan origin, is exquisitely made and is though to be of the early 15th century Bergamo: Santa Maria Maggiore Considered the most important monument of Bergamo, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was built by the people of Bergamo after a vow to the Virgin Mary. Work began in 1137 and continued for over half a century.   The basilica, which still belongs to the city, was increasingly enriched with works of art. Alongside the ancient frescoes, there is a splendid wooden confessional, a masterpiece by Andrea Fantoni. In addition to the rich work of the choir there are the famous intarsia, done in the 16th century to designs by Lorenzo Lotto. The façade of the cathedral was completed in the last century. The grandiose decoration of the wooden choir was completed by the German Gian Carlo San between 1693 and 1698. In the centre the bishop’s throne by Andrea Fantoni in 1705 stands out. The most prestigious item in the great altar in the Cathedral of Bergamo is the precious silver cross, known as the cross of Ughetto, dating back to the 14th century. |