silesia-airport-53

GDZIE WYJECHAĆ?
20
WHERE SHALL WE GO?
Zamek Sforzów | Castello Sforzesco
was until recently known as the Park of
the Basilicas. There are two chapels adjacent
to it and one is is of particular interest
– the octagonally-shaped Capella di
Sant’Aquilino, decorated with paleochristian
mosaics inside. In front of the Basilica
are the Columns of St Lawrence (Colonne di
San Lorenzo) from the third century, probably
from the imperial baths, which were
connected to the old city gate. It is also
worth going to other equally interesting
temples, such as the Church of San Simpliciano,
San Nazaro in Brolo, Sant'Eufemia,
and Sant'Eustorgio di Milano – St. Ambrose,
Archbishop of Milan. Unfortunately, with
less than two days to see Milan, we have
to make a selection.
Day Two
The second day, well actually half of it,
we spend on a tour of Castello Sforzesco,
located northwest of the Piazza del Duomo.
This enormous brick fortress, built in
the fifteenth century in the shape of a
square, with a large courtyard. The former
residential quarters house a complex of
interesting museums – Musei del Castello
Sforzesco, featuring works by such artists
as Giovanni Bellini, Titian and Michelangelo
(the famous Pieta Rondanini, Michelangelo’s
final work), as well as archaeology
and design. To finish off, let’s go to the
church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, considered
a gem of the Renaissance which is
also home to a real treasure – Leonardo da
Vinci’s ”Last Supper.”
It’s time to say goodbye to Milan and catch
the bus back to Bergamo from Milan’s Central
Station. We’ll spend a few hours there
and then go straight to Orio al Serio Airport,
about 4km from the city centre.
Bergamo is actually two cities in one: the
old, so-called upper town, surrounded
by Venetian walls, and the newer, lower
town. The focus of the older part of the
town is the historic Piazza Vecchia. In fact
we can reach it on foot, by bus or by funicular
cable car. Upon exit from the cable
car, however, we chance upon another
charming square, Piazza del Mercato della
Scarpe. Standing alongside Piazza Vecchia,
however, is a twelfth-century, extensively
decorated palace with a tower and clock
and Palazzo Scamozziano adjacent to the
eighteenth-century fountain.
At another square called Pizza del Duomo,
we come to the Colleoni Chapel, the
pearl of Lombard Renaissance architecture
and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,
whose history dates back to the twelfth
century. The fourteenth-century Rocca
fortress offers a wonderful view, and it’s
particularly stunning in autumn. In the
new, lower town, lovers of art will not be
bored, especially those who enjoy admiring
paintings, as there’s a great art gallery,
the Accademia Carrara, with an exhibition
of paintings, including the works
of artists such as, Titian, Brueghel, Van
Dyck, and Lotta. Although the lower part
of Bergamo is modern, we can also explore
and old quarter, where we can enjoy palaces
and churches from the sixteenth and
eighteenth centuries. It is also worth pausing
in the heart of this part of Bergamo,
which is the Piazza Matteotti.
It’s time to go to the airport to catch the
flight home. Buses to the airport run from
both the old town and from the lower
town, from the main station. It will take us
a only a few minutes.
Buon Viaggio!
fot. shutterstock.com