Bergamo would not be the same without its imposing Venetian Walls: more than six kilometers in length, a place of romantic walks, the scene of wonderful sunsets, they have guarded the beauty of Città Alta for more than four centuries. The inestimable artistic and cultural value of the Walls is also evidenced by their UNESCO recognition; in fact, they are inscribed on the World Heritage List. They were built starting in 1561 by the Republic of Venice to stem enemy attacks, but History was benevolent, perhaps impressed by such mighty beauty, and willed that they never suffer sieges. Thus they have fortunately been preserved intact to the present day. They consist of
– 14 bastions,
– 2 platforms,
– 100 openings for gun ports,
– 2 powder magazines,
– 4 gates,
– an intricate underground world of sorties, passages and tunnels. It is possible to visit the gunboats of St. John’s.
More than 250 buildings were demolished to build the Walls, including eight religious ones, including the cathedral of St. Alexander and the Dominican convent of St. Stephen: this was the reason for the eight excommunications issued during the work. A great many workers were employed in their construction, under the direction of architects from Venice and Bergamo, because of the vastness and grandeur of the building. Their inscription on the Unesco World Heritage List places the Walls within the serial and transnational site “Venetian Defense Works between the 16th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra – Stato da Mar Occidentale.” It is to enhance a system of fortifications and defense works built by the Republic of Venice between the 16th and 17th centuries, harmonious with each other and linked by an ideal thread.
Curiosities
Some sections of the fortifications were already present in Roman times, documented in the 8th century: traces are still visible today in Via Vàgine, under the convent of Santa Grata and to the left of Viale delle Mura to the west of the funicular route (formerly Via degli Anditi). These remains, at the beginning of the 16th century were in an extremely decaying condition and were almost totally replaced by the new work. When the work was completed, the perimeter of the fortification was entirely new and did not include any part of previous defense works.
