Santuario della Madonna di Caravaggio
Central Lombardy
The Santuario della Madonna di Caravaggio is a grandiose building started at the orders of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, after an alleged…
Must-see attractions in Central Lombardy
Central Lombardy
Lovely, mirror-still Lake Endine is surrounded by woods and reed banks. Tranquillity is assured on this lake where motorboats are banned. Lakeside paths…
Parco Archeologico Comunale di Seradina-Bedolina
Central Lombardy
Opened in 2005, this open-air site contains 150 engraved rocks, most dating from 2000 to 1000 BC. Carved hunters, plough scenes and single figures are…
Santuario di Santa Maria della Croce
Central Lombardy
One of the most striking Renaissance structures in Lombardy, the Santuario di Santa Maria della Croce lies about 1.5km north of the old town along Viale…
Riserva Naturale Regionale Valle del Freddo
Central Lombardy
Around 2km northeast of Lake Endine, the Cold Valley Reserve has a unique microclimate, with a particularly chilly subsoil (stick your hands into some of…
Riserva Naturale Torbiere del Sebino
Central Lombardy
These 2-sq-km protected wetlands were formed from 18th-century peat beds. A reed-fringed 4km walking path – partly on muddy tracks, partly on wooden…
Central Lombardy
On a farming estate in the municipality of Carvenago some 16km southeast of Bergamo, lies the crenellated brickwork of Castello di Malpaga. This was the…
Bergamo
For a wonderful view from one of the highest points in the old town, climb the 12th-century Gombito Tower. Visits must be reserved in advance at the…
Bergamo
Roman remains were discovered during renovations of Bergamo's baroque cathedral, with an interior dating to the 17th century. A rather squat building, it…
Central Lombardy
The hamlet of Esmate provides a scenic vantage point over the northern end of Lake Iseo. The views are good from the churchyard but breathtaking if you…
Cremona
The Palazzo Comunale has been home to the city's government for hundreds of years. Begun in the 13th century, its arcaded walkways and courtyards were…
Central Lombardy
A short (1.5km) drive east of Almenno San Bartolomeo is a wonderful example of early Lombard Romanesque, the circular Chiesa di San Tomè. The exterior of…
Lake Iseo
A 9km detour southwest of Sarnico brings you to Grumello del Monte, dominated by a partly overgrown Castello del Grumello, now part of a winery where you…
Central Lombardy
Built in 1904, the seven-storey Grand Hotel was one of the great icons of this corner of Lombardy up until its closure in 1979. It has an ornate art…
Bergamo
This impressive fortress is dominated by a round tower that dates from Bergamo's days as a Venetian outpost. La Rocca houses part of the city's history…
Cremona
This beautiful, pedestrian-only piazza is considered one of the best-preserved medieval squares in all Italy. To maintain divisions between Church and…
Bergamo
Look for the Venetian-inspired countryside and colour palette that defines Lorenzo Lotto's Pala di Santo Spirito (1521), where the Madonna sits beneath a…
Lake Iseo
A gallery concentrating on Venetian and Lombard art that's been around for nearly 200 years. Look out for works by Jacopo Bellini, Giambattista Tiepolo…
Central Lombardy
A turreted, stone hulk in Cavernago, 15km southeast of Bergamo. It was raised in the Middle Ages but substantially overhauled in the 17th and 18th…
Brescia
The Duomo Nuovo was begun in 1604 but wasn't finished until 1825. Repeated alterations over the centuries make it a bit of a mishmash; the lower part of…
Central Lombardy
Completed in 1341, Crema's photogenic cathedral sports a giant facciata a vento (wind facade) and is of typically Lombard Gothic style, which uses…
Bergamo
One for the kids, Bergamo's natural history museum contains a collection of creatures great and small, including a woolly mammoth, a life-size cast of an…
Mantua
The light, neoclassical Cattedrale pales before the magnificence of the Basilica di Sant’Andrea. The facade was erected in the mid-18th century, while the…
Brescia
The Torre dell'Orologio, with its exquisite astrological timepiece, is modelled on the one in Venice's Piazza San Marco.
Central Lombardy
In Pagazzano, 25km straight south of Bergamo, is this decidedly fortress-like Visconti castle, which is surrounded by a (filled) moat. The museum inside…
La Basilica Cattedrale della Vergine Assunta
Central Lombardy
Lodi's iconic sight is its imposing cathedral. Work began in 1160 and its towering brick facade betrays Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements (the…
Monastero San Pietro in Lamosa
Central Lombardy
An 11th-century monastery founded by the Cluniac monks who first started to cultivate the region. On weekends you can visit the church and have a look at…
Cremona
The 12th-century baptistry houses some architectural fragments, including a 12th-century figure of the Archangel Gabriel that once perched on the roof.
Central Lombardy
From Valbondione, it's a three-hour (one-way) hike to Cascate del Serio, a triple cascade of 300m that constitutes one of Europe's tallest waterfalls.
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta
Central Lombardy
Some 25km northeast of central Bergamo, the town of Gandino is well worth a stop for its impressive Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, a baroque beauty with…
Brescia
Perhaps beautiful is not the word but this nonetheless fascinating piazza is a leftover of Il Duce's dreams of grandeur. Designed by Marcello Piacentini…
Bergamo
The imposing arches and columns of the Palazzo della Ragione sit at the southern end of Piazza Vecchia. Built in the 12th century, it bears the lion of St…
Abbazia Olivetana di San Nicola
Central Lombardy
Set at the end of a short, cypress-lined avenue, this impressive monastic complex, which dates back to at least 1050, was set on an important crossroads…
Central Lombardy
Near the cemetery in Cemmo is one of the finest examples of Lombard Romanesque, the 11th-century Pieve di San Siro, or country church. Evidence suggests…
Chiesa di San Michele al Pozzo Bianco
Bergamo
This dark chilly church is home to an entire Lorenzo Lotto fresco-cycle devoted to the Storie della Vergine (Stories of the Virgin Mother; 1525)…
Mantua
This huge, 13th-century palace sits between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza Broletto and was commissioned by Duke Ludovico Gonzaga. For centuries it served…
Central Lombardy
The highlight of this small atmospheric chapel is the collection of vibrant frescoes by Lorenzo Lotto depicting stories of St Barbara and St Brigid. Lotto…
Cremona
Once inside the 14th-century Chiesa di Sant'Agostino, head for the third chapel on the right, the Cappella Cavalcabò, which features a stunning late…
Bergamo
Built by the powerful Visconti clan in 1355, Bergamo's fortress has some imposing features, including a medieval postern gate, a 14th-century portico and…
Bergamo
This octagonal baptistry was built in 1340 but moved to its present spot and was given a few neo-Gothic flourishes in 1898. Inside, you'll find bas…
