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Piazza Vecchia is the main plaza in the historic Upper Town (Città Alta) area of Bergamo. Swiss architect Le Corbusier called it “the most beautiful square in Europe”.
Palazzo della Ragione
The most important building on Piazza Vecchia is the Palazzo della Ragione. It was built between 1183 and 1198 and is the oldest municipal palace in Italy. When the Republic of Venice took over Bergamo in 1428, the building was converted into a courthouse.
The Palazzo della Ragione faces both Piazza Vecchia and Piazza del Duomo, but the main façade faces Piazza Vecchia. In 1464, a bas-relief of the Lion of Saint Mark was added to the building. The building is often open for special exhibitions.
Palazzo del Podestà
To the right of the Palazzo della Ragione is the Palazzo del Podestà, which features the Campanone (bell tower). It was originally built in the 12th century as a residence for the Suardi family. It later became a municipal building and was expanded during Venetian rule. Today, the building houses the Historical Museum of the Venetian Age (Museo Storico dell’Età Veneta). To read about my visit to the bell tower and museum, click here.
Angelo Mai Civic Library
On the north end of the piazza is the Angelo Mai Civic Library (Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai), which was founded in 1768. It’s the oldest and most important library in the Bergamo library system. The building was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi as the Palazzo Nuovo and was intended to be the town hall. Construction started around 1600 but wasn’t completed until 1928. The façade was designed by Ernesto Pirovano.
The Rest of the Piazza
The east and west sides of the piazza are full of cafés and restaurants located on the ground floors of historic buildings.
In the center is the Contarini Fountain (Fontana Contarini), which was donated to Bergamo by outgoing Venetian mayor Alvise Contarini in 1780. It was dismantled in 1885 to make way for a monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi. In the beginning of the 20th century, the monument was moved to Lower Town (Città Bassa) and the fountain was reassembled in its original location.
