Square was the hub of the city in the 15th century

Not to be missed in Bergamo’s Città Bassa…

PIAZZA PONTIDA

Piazza Pontida is a popular meeting place

One of the squares with historic importance in the Città Bassa (lower town) is Piazza Pontida, which is near the corner of Via Sant’Alessandro and Via XX Settembre.

The piazza is close to a point known for centuries as Cinque Vie (five roads), where traffic from Milan, Lecco, Treviglio and Crema would converge.

Piazza Pontida was the place where the goods arriving in Bergamo would be unloaded and bargained for before being sent up to the Città Alta (upper town).

Some of the portici (porticoes) date back to the 15th century, when the farmers and merchants would shelter from the sun while negotiating over the goods. It would have been a lively scene, with story tellers and poets roaming from one inn to the next, entertaining the crowds who had come to trade in the square.

There are now modern shops doing business from under the porticoes but the square is still a popular meeting place for local people.

Sit at a table outside one of the bars or restaurants and watch the Bergamaschi going about their business, imagining what the scene would have been like 500 years ago.

See Best of Bergamo’s updated Flights Guide

Home                       Main Sights                          Bergamo Hotels