A day among the Venetian Walls: an outing to Bergamo

A hundred chimes of the civic tower bell that at ten in the evening announce the closing of the gates of the Venetian walls: it looks like a scene from a costume film, but these are emotions that we can all experience visiting Bergamo. Even though today, not having to fear enemy attacks, the gates obviously stay open, for the rest the atmospheres in the Città Alta are those of centuries ago. Indeed, Bergamo is one of the five Italian cities whose historic centre has remained completely surrounded by walls, which have kept their appearance almost unchanged over the centuries. The foreign tourists who crowd the historic centre, located up high, often believe that the place name of the city, known in Roman times as Bergomum, derives from the Germanic "Berg", meaning "mountain", a hypothesis not however supported by studies.

We reach the Città Alta by the funicular that from the Città Bassa, the modern one, takes us, to the delight of the women in the group, directly to piazza Mercato delle Scarpe. From there we walk along one of the alleys that wind upwards to reach the Rocca, built from 1331 on the hill of Sant'Eufemia. We discover that it was further fortified by the Visconti to counter Venice, which would nevertheless succeed them in ruling the city in 1428. Today, on the other hand, it is the gaze of tourists that can dominate the city; indeed, from a wide terrace we can contemplate a breathtaking view, with all the Bergamasque towers rising above the houses of the historic district, from which the hills of the Orobie pre-Alps can also be seen clearly. A place that enchants and that also inspires artists, first among them the illustrious composer Gaetano Donizetti, born in Bergamo in 1797.

Torquato Tasso, on the other hand, dedicated a beautiful sonnet to the city, praising its natural beauties. From the Rocca we descend again into the heart of the Città Alta, reaching Piazza Vecchia, overlooked by the Torre Civica, where several splendid palaces stand, including the Palazzo della Ragione. On the south side of the square you are left open-mouthed: wherever you look, you see an architectural masterpiece of rare beauty. The Duomo, dedicated to the city's patron Saint Alexander, was built from 1459 on the site of a previous religious building, itself erected on the remains of an early Christian church. A short distance away rises the splendid Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, which, besides numerous important works of art, also preserves the tomb of Donizetti.

Leaning against the basilica is the Renaissance Cappella Colleoni, and a few steps away, the 14th-century Baptistery, originally placed in the central nave of the Basilica. We stay in the evocative Città Alta for dinner too, stopping at La Tana Enoristorante, on the very central Via San Lorenzo, a few steps from the gate of the same name. The warmth of the welcome and the charm of the place, created from a 16th-century bastion, win us over at once. "This was one of the last bulwarks beyond the Venetian walls.

The bastions are connected to each other by underground tunnels that allowed the soldiers to escape if necessary," Mr Alessandro tells us, the owner who runs the restaurant together with his family: his mother Isa, very good at making fresh pasta and desserts, his brother Roberto, who is the cook, and his uncle Roberto, an expert griller who prepares the meats and looks after the selection of cheeses. We begin with the rich La Tana board, which includes a mix of cured meats and the chef's delicacies. We also taste the bresaola della Valchiavenna with aged carnia and misticanza, the horse tartare with bruschette, caper pesto and cabbage, as well as the tasty marinated magatello with grana flakes and black olive pâté.

We continue with some exquisite first courses, prepared with fresh homemade pasta: the typical casoncelli alla bergamasca, the gnocchetti with broad bean cream, prawns and crispy pancetta, and the tagliatelle with mussels, taggiasca olives and cherry tomatoes. A friend of ours chooses the vegetarian lasagne with white provola, but the fragrant risotto with chanterelles and taleggio also wins converts. We wash down these delicacies with excellent wines selected from about 120 labels, including both bottles from famous wineries and wines from small producers. We also appreciate the wine by the glass, which changes weekly, thus allowing customers to discover new tastes.

Moving on to the second courses, we are delighted by the meats cooked over a wood fire, accompanied by aromatic salts: the cooking takes place in the dining room, in view, and when the tagliata, the fillet, the rib and the beef Fiorentina arrive at the table, as well as the foal entrecote, we remain thoroughly satisfied. At the end, we also taste a board of local cheeses with honey, jams and preserves, as well as some irresistible homemade desserts: we are truly happy to have "conquered" this part of the city, where we will certainly return soon.

Francesca Bertha

PER INFORMAZIONI:

La Tana Enoristorante Via San Lorenzo, 25 Bergamo Tel.: 035/213137 333/2581493