If you have already arrived from the center of lower Bergamo to the Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe in Città Alta by taking the first funicular, don’t stop your ascent: venture on the second and visit San Vigilio Hill!
In fact, this facility leads to an area that is little frequented but is really worth reaching as it is surrounded by greenery and a privileged starting point for walks within the wonderful Parco dei Colli, a protected green area of no less than 4,700 hectares.
Inaugurated on August 27, 1912, it was conceived by Alessandro Ferretti, one of the leading Italian engineers of the time, who designed dozens of funicular railways and built about fifteen of them.
The San Vigilio funicular covers a length of 630 meters and a drop of 90, with a gradient ranging from 10%, to 22%, and providing a vast panorama of the hills and the city and provincial plain.
The San Vigilio plant was created to facilitate the urbanization of the hill of the same name by connecting it with the rest of the city.
The mechanical part is made by La Société des Usines L. de Roll of Bern, while the original carriages are built by Fervet, an acronym for Fabbricazione E Riparazione Vagoni E Tramway.
This company was formed in Bergamo in March 1907 and soon became one of the nation’s leading steel and mechanical industries, providing employment for thousands of Bergamascans who still proudly claim to have been its employees.
Despite the success of the San Vigilio funicular, the company formed specifically for its construction had to close in 1918; it was taken over by the municipal company until 1976, when the government concession expired.
In 1984 the Administrative Commission decided that the time had come for a radical transformation of the system, and in 1987 work began: the 2 carriages that could hold up to 32 people each were replaced by a single one with a maximum capacity of 55 people, while the section splitting the track was eliminated.
Currently, it is managed by ATB Spa (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo) and the ticket is integrated into the city ticket, which is also valid for buses.