To say Piazza Vecchia is to say Città Alta: for centuries it has been the fulcrum of Bergamo’s political power and even today it continues to be the place where people meet and spend their free time.
The square is overlooked by majestic and imposing buildings arranged according to a harmonious and perfect geometry including the Palazzo della Ragione, which dates back to 1100 and is the oldest existing municipal seat in Lombardy, and the Civic Tower, known as “il Campanone”.
At the center of Piazza Vecchia you can admire the fountain Contarini, donated to the city in 1780 by the Podestà Alvise Contarini On the opposite side of the square stands the Palazzo Nuovo, seat of the Municipality until 1873 and today of the Angelo Mai Library that preserves a library heritage composed of incunabula, sixteenth century, prints, manuscripts and other exhibits of inestimable value, making it one of the most important libraries in Italy.
