Piazza Brembana: Culture, Routes and Nature

Piazza Brembana brings together local history, art and different ways to explore the surrounding area. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether you want to focus on historic sites, works in the churches, or routes along the river and through wooded landscapes. The sites and routes described here each offer a different perspective.

Discover local history on foot

A walk through the historic centre follows Via F.lli Calvi and Via San Bernardo. Along the way, you pass the former premises of the Pretura and the Canossian Sisters’ convent, as well as the still-standing Chiesetta di San Bernardo and its oratory. The walk therefore takes in both former institutions and a religious site that remains in use. The historic Strada Priula offers another connection with the town’s past: it passed the parish church on its way into town. The Contrade Orenghi and Pissamora are among the old buildings along the route that have been preserved to this day.

The history of the railway station can also be placed in context. The first passenger trains reached Piazza Brembana station on 31 July 1926; passenger services were discontinued on 17 March 1966. These two dates mark the beginning and end of the historic passenger service. Alongside the buildings and routes, they offer another perspective on the town’s past.

Ecomuseum and church art

The Fratelli Calvi Ecomuseum is laid out as an open-air museum trail. Iron steles display photographs, documents, letters and illustrated texts about the Calvi brothers and their family. At Casa Calvi, a municipal hall is part of the Ecomuseum; its historical materials also include pictures and condolence letters about the brothers and their mother. You can therefore experience two different forms of presentation: an outdoor trail with steles and a hall featuring additional documents and pictures.

The parish church of San Martino was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in the second half of the 19th century, based on a design by the architect Preda from Ponte S. Pietro. It also houses a polyptych of Saint Martin by Lattanzio da Rimini, dating from 1503. The building’s history and the artwork therefore belong to distinctly different periods. A polyptych is a multi-panel artwork; this one is dedicated to Saint Martin.

The church of San Bernardo in Piazza Brembana houses works by Carlo Ceresa, Palma il Giovane and Andrea Vicentino. These include a painting by Carlo Ceresa dating from around 1660 and the high altar painting by Palma il Giovane. The church interior is also described: the single-nave hall is divided into three bays. A single-nave hall has no side aisles; the bays divide the main space into sections. The artworks and architecture therefore offer two distinct ways to appreciate the sacred heritage.

Routes, river and green spaces

For a walk, Sentiero 128 leads from Piazza Brembana to the Cappelletta dei Fondi, crossing a distinctive bridge with a tower at its end along the way. In the Zona Fondi, there is also a riverside green space equipped for visitors, intended for spending time and relaxing. The ruins of an old mill and the Cappelletta dei Morti dei Fondi can be seen there. The chapel’s frescoes recall the burial of the dead during recurring plague epidemics. The river setting, architectural remains and religious remembrance thus come together in one place.

Another itinerary starts in Piazza Brembana and Lenna and follows the quiet course of the Brembo through woods and clearings to Fondra. The Zogno–Piazza Brembana cycle path, meanwhile, is described as 21 kilometres long, with a total elevation gain of 240 metres and gradients of no more than 5 per cent. The information provides different guidance for choosing between these options: the cycle path is described in terms of its length and maximum gradient, while the itinerary towards Fondra is distinguished by the river and scenery. As the cycle path measurements may be updated, it is advisable to check the current route details before setting out.

For your stay, you can choose a focus: explore local history through the streets, buildings and Ecomuseum, or enjoy a cultural perspective centred on church art and architecture. The routes and Zona Fondi, by contrast, are suited to planning a stay in which paths, the river and the landscape play a greater part.

Discover more destinations: Villassio, Fonteno, Dalmine, Brembate, Zogno, Bottanuco, Serina, Sant'Erasmo.

For the broader travel overview: Bergamo.