CONVENTO DI SAN FRANCESCO

Bergamo (BG)

AM Lombardy and Aosta Valley

In the heart of Bergamo Alta, the Convent of San Francesco stands as one of the finest examples of the city's medieval architecture. Developed around evocative cloisters, the structure offers glimpses of rare beauty: from the panoramic view of the Cloister of the Well, which opens the horizon onto the Bergamo valleys, to the precious frescoes of the Chapter House. A place where the charm of the past invites you to immerse yourself in the city's most authentic history.

Convento di San Francesco e Museo della Fotografia Sestini

A journey through image and history: the museum offer

The Convent of St Francis is the beating heart of the Bergamo Story Museum, a diffuse museum network that narrates the events of the city from Roman times to the 20th century. Inside, the complex houses two state-of-the-art multimedia and interactive routes.

Sestini Museum of Photography

A 360° experience in the world of photography to discover its origins, techniques and protagonists. The path is articulated between scientific rigour and historical narration, highlighting the immense heritage of the’Sestini Archives.

Technological evolution: A gallery of original equipment - from magic lanterns to the iconic Leica, Hasselblad and Polaroid - traces the progress of optics. Standing out in terms of rarity is a stereoscopic column viewer of the early 20th century: a carved jewel containing 150 three-dimensional views.
Interactivity and craft: Thanks to interactive tables and zenithal shots, visitors can “observe up close” the hands of photographers of the past as they make ferrotypes or develop collodion plates, revealing the secrets of the darkroom.

Bergamo 900

An immersive exhibition dedicated to the transformations of the Orobic territory in the “Short Century”. Through four thematic sections, the museum interweaves major global events with the local dimension.

Languages of the century: Video installations retrace eight crucial turning points of the 20th century, while a large interactive map allows you to virtually explore 87 landmarks of cities and provinces.
Objects and memories: 23 narrative boxes juxtapose historical artefacts with oral testimonies, creating a bridge between everyday life and major international changes.
Treasures on display: * The model of the Upper Town: A monumental work carved out of three blocks of solid walnut, it depicts the urban morphology of Bergamo in the mid-1930s, before the great urban redevelopments.
- The Moto Rumi Myth: A space dedicated to Bergamo's industrial excellence with a rotating display of the legendary motorbikes produced between 1950 and 1962, icons of design and technology admired throughout the world.

➡️ Info Accessibility: Access to the Bergamo Museum of History sites is permitted to small dogs only if they are inside a pet carrier. Access to dogs for the blind is always permitted.