DISCOVER ITALY’S TWIN CAPITALSOF CULTURE

ANCIENT HISTORY,OPULENT CHURCHES AND THE GRAND-DADDY OF GELATOSARE HIGHLIGHTS OF LOMBARDY’S EXCITING URBAN CENTRES, AS SEAN COYTE DISCOVERS

You might recognisethe names Bergamo and Bresciafrom the firstwave of European lockdowns in 2020. Struck hard by the pandemic, they belong to the Italian region ofLombardy,labelled a‘red zone’ during that difficult period.

Three years on, the cities have transformed their hardship into hope. Recognising their shared struggle, the neighbours –they’re less than an hour’s drive apart –joined forces to earn the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2023.

The joint honour is a first in the country where, since2015,the annual prize has boosted social and economic growth from Palermo to Perugia.

Bergamoand Brescia’s bid focused on four key themes, but it was the idea of ‘culture as acure’ that really impressed the judges. Conveniently connected, the two cities are ideal for atwin-centre break. Here’s how the arts,food and architecture are unlocking abrighterfuturefor locals and tourists alike…

Roman Brescia

Brescia was known as Brixia by the Romans, and its archaeological sites could easily rival some of the Italian capital’s most popular ancient landmarks.

Entering the restored Capitolium of Brixia, there’s a five-minute delay designed to regulate moisture in the air and stop theatmosphere outside contaminating two-thousand-year-old mosaics and statuesinside.

After examining aseries of inscriptions, I’m confronted with the main event –the Winged Victory,a statue dating back to the1st centuryAD. The figurewas found fractured into thousands of pieces and painstakingly pieced together for guests to admire today

The winged female’s empty arms would have held abronze shield displaying the name of aproud victor, and the discovery of the bronze figure prompted the city to open its first museum in 1830.

Next to theCapitolium, you’ll find the Roman Theatre –but the real showstopper is at the other end of a corridor

New for 2023, the path connects the Capitolium and Roman TheatretoSanta Giulia Museum, which is home to the remains of large Roman villas.Araised walkway allows me to peer into apokey 2,000-year-old kitchen, and I’m surprised to discover there wasn’t more room for preparing the lavish banquets associated with the Romans.

Entry to the Capitoliumand Santa Giulia Museum (bresciamusei.com) costs €15/£13 for adults and€8/£7 for over 65 and under 26.

Bergamo’sUpper City

Imake my way to La CittaAlta, or Bergamo’s Upper City,as apassenger on atuk tuk. The driver’s narrow handlebars almost graze the maze of medieval walls around us, while my local city guide narrates on our surroundings. “And if you look to your right, you’ll see where chocolate-chip ice cream was invented,” he says.

That’s all thepersuasion Ineed to head in and try the grandad of gelatos for myself.The Pasticceria, or pastry shop, stands on awinding road with ashaded outdoor area, benches, and an unlit firepit with views of the Atalanta football stadium in thedistance.

Travelling between the modern lower town and historic upper town is an event in itself.For locals, the most practical way to get between the two is using the funicolare (funicular). In operation since 1887, the public transport system carries passengers in carriages on asteep incline with views over converted farmhouses and imported palm trees. Single tickets cost €1.50/£1.30, while adaily ticket costing €4/£3.55 covers local buses too.

The fully pedestrianised upper town oozes old-world charm. Wrought-iron balconies draped in plants are dotted across buildings overlooking piazzas filled with pizzerias and cafes. More than half of locals own adog too, so you’renever far from petting apooch while you sink your teeth into aslice of freshpizza.

I’m told to come back in June to see the city at its best. Donizetti by Night is a series of more than100 shows celebrating the life of one of Bergamo’s most loved exports, the highly revered classical composer Gaetano Donizetti. The party is set to spillout onto the streets between June 3-4, and will be followed by the city’s Opera Festival, June 9-10, another chance to join in the musical fun across more than 70 public and privatevenues.

Breath-taking churches

The Church of Santa Maria in the province of Bergamo may look unassuming from the outside, but no trip to the village of Lovere is complete without stepping inside. The towering columns and curved vault are revealed in dramatic fashion as Ienter thebasilica in darkness. It’s only after my guide switches on the lights that Iamable to appreciate its beauty

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Brescia has asimilar effect on onlookers. As Imake my way to lunch on the final day of my trip, my guide casually advises me to look inside. The Baroque altar inside is one of the most magnificent pieces of craftmanship I’ve ever seen, a collection of columns, statues and colours that will live long in my memory.It’s not alarge church but the details that adorn its dome and walls have to be seen to be believed.

Not all of Lombardy’s holy buildings are quite so modest from the outside. In Bergamo, theBasilica of Santa Maria

Maggiore and the neighbouring Colleoni Chapel grab your attention from the moment you step onto Piazza Vecchia or theOld Square. My view from Campanone, the city’s tallest tower,might be the best of them all. Youcan enjoy the same vista of the Old Town for €5/£4.40.

Unique flavours

There’s something about Lombardy’s location at the foot of the Alps that makes the region agastro goldmine.

In the valleys surrounding Bergamo, nine of Italy’s 50 DOPs, or ‘Protected Designations of Origin’, can be found. The title is given to areas where foods are produced using traditional methods and to the highest standards. Here, the local herdsmen produce cheeses that, by definition, cannot be made anywhere else. It’s no surprisethat the city is considered the European Capital of Cheese.

Bù Cheese BAR (Via Monte S. Michele, 1) is just moments from an 18th century opera house and the perfect spot to sample Bergamo’s finest produce. The cheeses on my plate arearranged like a clockface, where every hour is formaggio o’clock. Isample two DOP varieties, the Formai de Mut, or ‘mountain cheese’, and the Strachitunt, which my host introduces as the ‘Father of Gorgonzola’.

If it’s a‘sit-down meal’ you’re after,IlColmetto (ilcolmetto. it), afew minutes outside Brescia in Rodengo-Saiano, serves arefined menu made from the freshest ingredients, provided by its residents. The 200-plus goats at the back of the sun-drenched restaurant provide everything from ice cream to cheesesand thelightest butter I’ve ever tasted.

The risotto is the real talking point, a light concoction topped with burnt goat’s milk and black lemon, acombination of flavours unlike anything I’ve tried before. Atasting menu of 10 dishes will set you back €70/£62.

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