Arts & Culture
Gaetano Donizetti
He was born in 1797 in a humble house (now museum) in the upper town’s ancient neighborhood, called Borgo Canale. Here started the rising artistic career of this great composer, author of masterpieces like L'elisir d'amore, Lucia di Lammermoor and Don Pasquale.
He lived and worked in Naples, Paris and Vienna and died at the end of 1848 in Bergamo. His grave is located in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Bergamo dedicated to him the City Theatre, the Donizetti Museum, the conservatory and the festival Donizetti Opera which every year attracts audiences from all over the world.
Harlequin & the Commedia dell'arte
Harlequin (ital. Arlecchino) is the most famous mask of the Carnival and a piece of history that began in Bergamo in the stages of the commedia dell’arte.
Would you like to know more? Click here.
Or maybe in Arlecchino´s own language here :)
Accademia Carrara and other museums
Accademia Carrara is for sure the Museum of Bergamo. It houses for instance the Leonello d’Este’s elegant profile painted by Pisanello, Giuliano de’Medici’s portrait by Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna’s moving Madonna and the one rich of humanity by Giovanni Bellini. The unforgettable San Sebastiano painted by Raphael, with his dreamy gaze is conserved here. It also contains works by Baschenis, Lorenzo Lotto, Tiziano, Tiepolo, Canaletta, Moroni: it´s a collection of masterpieces in a human sized museum.