Those who reach Bergamo Alta by car and park at Parking Fara (10 free parking spaces for the disabled out of 400 public parking spaces) will find, once they go up via elevator to the historic center, a comfortable path paved in Sarnico Stone that will lead them to Via Colleoni.
Designed for the mobility-impaired, but of course accessible to all pedestrians, this walkway promoted by S.T.A.I. in collaboration with the City of Bergamo allows people to move on a flat road surface, free of the irregularities of cobblestones and galletate of ancient streets.
The route follows the course of the pre-existing sidewalk, which was widened and completed where it was necessary to cross the street or driveways. Following it, you skirt part of Piazza Mercato del Fieno to enter the quiet Via San Pancrazio to the Piazzetta and Church of the same name, where you meet Via Colleoni. From here you are ready to explore the wonders of Bergamo Alta.
This is the second intervention promoted by S.T.A.I., a magnificent 3-D model of the Basilica of St. Mary Major and surrounding buildings, made of brass after high-precision drone surveys by Skycrab (www.skycrab.net). Placed next to the entrance of the Basilica, the sculpture is especially dedicated to the visually impaired and blind who, by exploring the incredible details of the surfaces in a tactile manner, will be able to learn in detail about the appearance and exterior decorations of the surrounding buildings.
But that’s not all. The cognitive aid is not only material, but also aural: by framing the qr code on the installation, visitors can listen to an audio guide that vividly describes the architectural wonders of the square, their history, and the interiors, decorated by as many masterpieces.
The visually impaired can thus discover all the secrets of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore, a Romanesque-Baroque masterpiece of the Bergamo area, and the adjacent Colleoni Chapel, a unicum of the Italian Renaissance; of S. Alessandro Martire, a cathedral with a multifaceted history; of Palazzo della Ragione, the first palace of a municipal nature in Italy, and of course also of the small Baptistery, until it also embraces theAula Picta and the Tempietto di Santa Croce.
