The jewel of the Lombard Renaissance
In Piazza del Duomo in Bergamo Alta, next to the Romanesque basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, rises one of the masterpieces of the Lombard Renaissance: the Cappella Colleoni. It was built between 1472 and 1476 by the architect and sculptor Giovanni Antonio Amadeo as the funeral chapel of Bartolomeo Colleoni, the famous condottiero, the mercenary captain in the service of Venice, born near Bergamo, who to make room for it had the sacristy of the basilica demolished.
The façade is a lavish composition of polychrome marbles, white, red and black, arranged in geometric patterns and covered with reliefs: biblical scenes, the labours of Hercules, Roman emperors, medallions and putti. Inside, under a dome, is the tomb of Colleoni, with a gilded equestrian statue on top, and, smaller, that of his favourite daughter Medea. The ceiling was frescoed in the eighteenth century by Giambattista Tiepolo. A curious detail: the Colleoni coat of arms shows three pairs of testicles ("coglioni" in Italian, a pun on the family name), and touching them on the gate is said to bring luck.
Tip: entry is free; next door, Santa Maria Maggiore has splendid wooden inlays by Lorenzo Lotto and Flemish tapestries.
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