Bergamo
Bergamo: a city with two faces
Bergamo is a city located in the Lombardy region of Italy. With a population of around 120,000 residents, Bergamo is divided into two main parts: "Città Alta" (Upper Town) and "Città Bassa" (Lower Town). Città Alta is situated on high ground and includes most of the city's main landmarks, while Città Bassa has been partially urbanized but still retains some of its historic cores. The city is divided by the Walls of Bergamo, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
The Thousand of Bergamo
Bergamo is nicknamed "the city of Thousand" because a large number of volunteers from Bergamo took part in the Expedition of the Thousand led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, a crucial episode of the Risorgimento. Whether the name of the city originates from Latin or from Celtic or pre-Celtic languages remains a mystery. Although different theories about the origin of the city name have been proposed over the years, none of them has been accepted as the definitive explanation.
The origin of the name
According to the Bergamo historian Bortolo Belotti, "Bèrghem" derives from earlier proto-Celtic and pre-Celtic names, from which "Bergomum" would have been only the Latinization. Some argue that the name comes from the Proto-Germanic language used by some inhabitants of the northern regions in Europe. Claiming that the name derives from Ancient Greek "Pérgamon" cannot be verified, as there are no documented historical records to support this. Another hypothesis is that the origin of the name has a common root in Indo-European, considered an ancient language that gave rise to various languages, including Greek, Latin, and Proto-Germanic.
Conclusions
Bergamo is a city with a lot of history and culture. Città Alta offers many tourist attractions, including the Cathedral, the Palazzo della Ragione, and the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Michele al Pozzo Bianco. Additionally, the local shops and restaurants are must-see. Finally, the city of Bergamo offers the opportunity to develop Italian language skills, one of the most beautiful languages in the world.
