If you ask locals in Italy to recommend you some really authentic medieval town, they would answer Siena, of course, and also Bergamo in the North. I did a day trip to Bergamo during my visit of friends in Milan some 15 years ago. The reason was very utilitarian: we traveled with the low-cost airlines that used the airport of Bergamo instead of obvious Malpensa.

This TWHS is rather strange (as it is another TWHS Palmanova), because the entire upper town of Bergamo has been already inscribe as the Venetian works of defense WHS. However, the TWHS comprises much larger area as it includes also the lower town. Since we traveled from the airport by bus that ended by the railway station, we crossed the lower town by walk in direction much more interesting upper town. In the nomination, the contrast of both parts are praised and emphasized, but I would say that the inscription of the ancient part of Bergamo with its walls only is a reasonable compromise, because there is almost nothing to see outside the old walls. Thus, I would recommend traveling from the station to the old town by bus and skip the lower town.

The inner town is small but it was a pleasure to stroll in its narrow streets with a lot of vertical monuments (see PHOTO). The Palazzo del Podesta and the Basilica S Maria Maggiore were my highlights. I have also good memories to delicious lunch in Bergamo…

Even though I do not like serial nominations that usually ensure the inscription also to mediocre sites, the including of the old town of Bergamo to the Venetian defense WHS makes sense and it is justified in my opinion. In contrast, I would not paradoxically support the inscription of Bergamo as the separate site as proposed in this TWHS.