Bergamo, Mantua and Cremona: much more than just music

4 days / 3 nights

THIS PROMISES TO BE MORE THAN JUST A MUSICAL ITINERARY: BERGAMO, HOME OF DONIZETTI; CREMONA, WHERE THE ART OF VIOLIN MAKING WAS ADDED TO THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST; AND MANTUA, ONCE HOME OF THE GONZAGA FAMILY, SUSPENDED BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY

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Day 1 - Welcome to Bergamo!
Start your visit to Bergamo Alta, the Upper City: the Venetian city walls, the Cittadella, the Tower Houses, the Piazza Vecchia, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Cappella Colleoni, the Duomo and the Rocca. “At the sight of a big, unbelievably high tower” I entered “an unexpectedly large, marvelous piazza”, I was attracted “by a darkness filled with mystery” and I was surprised at the sight “of noble buildings suddenly springing up all around”. This is how Hermann Hesse, who filled pages and pages with unforgettable descriptions of Italian towns, described the Città Alta. Bergamo is the home town of the composer Gaetano Donizetti and of the gelato alla stracciatella, the chocolate chip ice cream still prepared it in town true to the original secret recipe.
Day 2 - Sweet Cremona
Cremona is a town that has become synonymous with violins worldwide. Walk through the streets of this town with its charming medieval piazza lined with the Palazzo Comunale, the Torrazzo, the Battistero and the Cathedral. Do not miss Perugino’s Virgin Enthroned in the Sant’Agostino Church and the San Sigismondo Church. A trip to Cremona is not complete without a visit to the workshop of a violin maker and a tasting experience of the culinary specialties of the Cremonese cuisine, in particular mostarda (pickled fruit with mustard) and torrone (nougat).
Day 3 - Mantua, noble and beautiful
A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site once ruled by the Gonzaga Family: Mantua is a town of indescribable beauty. From Piazza Sordello with the Palazzo del Capitano and the Magna Domus, on to the Cathedral of San Pietro, Piazza Broletto with the Palazzo del Podestà, Piazza Erbe with the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the Palazzo della Ragione and Piazza Mantegna with Alberti’s superb Church of Sant’ Andrea. At lunch enjoy some Mantuan specialties like tortelli di zucca (pumpkin-filled pasta), the “menà” risotto, pike in sauce and the sbrisolona cake. It is unmissable a visit to the Palazzo Ducale, the marvelous residence of the Gonzaga family, with its enormous spaces featuring beautifully frescoed rooms, collections of paintings and unique masterpieces, as well as Mantegna’s spectacular Camera degli Sposi.
Day 4 - Wine and castles
On the last day of your brief tour pay a visit to a winery to sample some good Franciacorta wine or go discovering the majestic fortress that was the property of Bartolomeo Colleoni: the Malpaga Castle. He liked to surround himself at court with the artists and the great personalities of those days, the most famous royal visit is that of King Christian I of Denmark travelling as a pilgrim to Rome. Strolling through the fortress you will feel like living back in the medieval times