CASA NATALE DI GAETANO DONIZETTI

Identified thanks to the studies of Ciro Caversazzi Published in 1924, the house where Gaetano Donizetti was born is a building of medieval origin on five levels. The particular conformation of the Borgo Canale hill creates a suggestive play of heights: while from the main street only four floors are visible, from the valley side (via degli Orti) the building reveals the entire structure of five floors above ground.

The Donizettis resided in the basement, a space originally created as an open porch and later converted into a dwelling. Here, the service rooms - corridor, woodshed, well and icebox - flank a modest two-room flat facing the valley.

Acquired by the Municipality of Bergamo in 1925 through public subscription, the building is National Monument since 1926. After several significant events and restorations (in 1948 and 1973), the entire complex underwent a thorough conservative restoration between 2007 and 2009. Today, the museum management and refurbishment is taken care of by the Donizetti Theatre Foundation, which guarantees its full public enjoyment.