PALAZZO DEL PODESTÀ – MUSEO DEL CINQUECENTO

The Palazzo stands on the border between the Renaissance Piazza Vecchia, where everything tells of Venice, and the medieval Piazza Duomo, reminiscent of the time of the Communes with its churches and the Palazzo della Ragione.

Inside the two halls is the Museum of the Sixteenth Century, a multimedia and interactive itinerary made up of images, sounds and suggestions that invite you to take a journey back in time, among prestigious palaces and ancient convents, to discover the stories of noble families fighting for power, ambitious merchants in search of fortune, great condottieri in the service of the Republic of Venice. Travelling from Venice to Bergamo like a man of the 16th century, entering an apothecary's workshop, becoming a spectator of the great geographical discoveries, witnessing the explosion of movable type printing are just some of the experiences offered by the route.

The visit is enhanced by the evocative bird's eye view of Bergamo by Alvise Cima, dated 1693: the layout of the medieval walls and that of the Venetian walls, built by the Serenissima between 1561 and 1588, and now - in 2017 - a Unesco heritage site, clearly emerge from the painting. Also worth mentioning are the enchanting portolano dating back to the 16th century and the multimedia reproduction of the ancient St Alexander's Fair, a crossroads for merchants from all over Europe.

Palazzo del Podestà is one of the six sites in the network of the Museo delle storie di Bergamo (Bergamo History Museum), a diffuse historical museum that tells the story of Bergamo from Roman times to the 20th century.