While Italy is undoubtedly the place to be right now, with travelers flocking to Venice, Romeand Sicily after the peak of the pandemic, chances are you’ve never been to Bergamo and Brescia before. Lombardy’s two towns are often overlooked amid Italy’s countless must-see destinations, despite being less than an hour from Milan and a 40-minute drive from each other. Their lesser-known status could change next year, however, when Bergamo and Brescia will be Italian Capital of Culture for 2023. The two take over the island of procidain the Gulf of Naples (another travel outsider in the boot-shaped country).
And the dual naming isn’t business as usual – nor is the use of the singular “capital” rather than “capitals,” a choice meant to signify unity and collaboration. In the spring of 2020, the two cities were the hardest hit by the arrival of the pandemic (the first Italian patients with coronavirus were registered there). Both were then nominated to be the Capital of Culture for 2023 soon after, as a beacon of hope for better days to come.
Almost three years later, those days have finally arrived. The two cities have set up a series of joint initiatives and projects – some 600 in total – which aim to promote their renaissance through various cultural exhibitions and to present not only their rich history, but also an ambitious vision of the coming.
“The nomination as Italian Capital of Culture is a great opportunity for our territories”, says the mayor of Brescia, Emilio del Bono. “The primary challenge is to make our cities known as the inexhaustible artistic and cultural sources that they are. We want visitors to step out of the bubble of the usual, more famous and bloated tourist destinations, to look at the hidden but equally wonderful treasures of Brescia and Bergamo. Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori called the lineup “as choral and inclusive as possible”.
The calendar of events will cover art exhibitions and music festival, opera performances and public space facilities, with things officially starting in the second half of January and running through the end of 2023. That’s why if you’re planning a trip to the Bel Paese anytime next year, you should definitely pay it a visit. . Here are the best things to do in Bergamo and Brescia in 2023.
Getting to Bergamo and Brescia
Bergamo and Brescia are respectively 33 and 57 miles east of Milan. Driving to either takes just over an hour, but trains are also a great option, with affordable and fairly quick journeys (around 50 minutes to Bergamo, 36 minutes to Brescia on the network at high speed) departing frequently from Milano Centrale. Once you arrive at Brescia station, follow the signs for the Metro line, an 8.5-mile rapid transit network comprising a single line that connects the north and south of the city via 17 stops. Get off in Vittoria, ready to explore.
In Bergamo, start by walking Via Roma towards Porta Nuova; a pair of colonnaded neoclassical buildings dating from the 1830s that marked the official entrance to the city. Bergamo also has an airportwhich happens to be Ryanair’s main hub in the region.
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