Visit Bornato, Tourism and travel tips

The Bornato Castle in Franciacorta

Lombardy, Cazzago San Martino in Franciacorta

Bornato is a hamlet of Cazzago San Martino, in Bresciano, the land of Franciacorta.

The castle is an ancient complex consisting of a medieval castle and a villa from the '600 built inside. Nothing is missing: towers and laces, gates and moat with a drawbridge.

The central and oldest part of the castle was of Roman origin and served to control the passage from Bergamo to Brescia. The lords of Bornato made the fortress a meeting place for artists and poets, so much so that Dante Alighieri also counted among his guests.

After centuries of decadence, the Gandini family took possession of it in the '600. They had the beautiful villa built within the walls that we still see today.

In the estate you can make guided tours of the Villa Orlando which is used for weddings and receptions. The interiors are beautiful and well-kept, rich decorations, statues and draperies breathe the wealth of the past.

Original frescoes embellish the luxurious environments and it's not difficult to imagine seeing the characters move in the halls.

In the extensive park around the complex there are two gardens, one Italian and the other in English, with centuries-old trees, green lawns and flowerbeds.

The estate boasts for centuries the production of excellent wines. In 800 years the production technique has been optimized and the result is definitely excellent.

The visit to the wineries with tasting is a must and very interesting and fun! It is natural to buy a few bottles of 'Terre di Franciacorta' to take home as a memory.

scritto da wUmrLVWz wUmrLVWz - ultima modifica il 29/07/2022

Brescia, one of the lesser-known cities in Lombardy

Lombardy, Brescia, Palazzo della Loggia

Piazza del Duomo or Piazza Paolo VI as it is currently called is one of the main square in the city of Brescia. The square overlooks the Broletto with the Torre del Pegol, the Rotonda and the Duomo Nuovo.

Broletto is the name of the Medieval Palace, it was built in '200. It was expanded later to incorporate the church of San Agostino. The façade of the very elegant building was restored in the nineteenth century. The term broletto comes from 'brolo' i.e. vegetable garden, the construction area was originally a vegetable garden with orchard. In the main courtyard you can admire a Botticino marble fountain from the '800 with engravings on the sides.

The Torre del Pegol or civic tower stands next to the building. The large balcony on the south side dates back to the 18th century while the large staircase to the east is embellished with beautiful frescoes. It still houses the prefecture, municipal and provincial offices.
La Rotonda, the Duomo Vecchio, is a beautiful ancient church that was erected on the remains of an early Christian cathedral. The entrance to the building is lower than street level and to enter it you need to go down the staircase.

The interior is very wide with high arches supported by large pillars. The funeral monument of Bishop Maggi with beautiful bas-reliefs is located in front of the entrance. Noteworthy are the towels and frescoes of the basilica, as well as the ancient organ of 1536 by Antegnati. Going down again you get to the crypt where you can still see columns of the original church.
This ancient church is very charming and welcoming.

More recent is the other religious temple, the Duomo Nuovo. It took two centuries to build it. The beginning was in the seventeenth century and in the long years of construction the style also changed. So the big building is a mixture of Baroque, Gothic and classicism. The great dome was the last part in 1825. Beautiful works of art embellish the interior and chapels.

scritto da wUmrLVWz wUmrLVWz - ultima modifica il 06/09/2021

Excursion to M. Canto Alto dalla fraz. M. by Nese

Monte Canto Alto

Canto Alto can be rightly defined as the “mountain of Bergamo” par excellence: clearly visible from the city, with its unmistakable silhouette, it can also be reached by having only half a day off. Passable almost all year round, except in the case of heavy snowfalls, the trip is characterized by the vast and suggestive panorama visible from the summit, on which stands a giant iron cross, built in 1979 and visible tens of kilometers away. While easy, the hike requires a minimum of experience and attention in the last steep stretch on the ridge.

From the town of Alzano Lombardo, at the entrance of the Val Seriana, you can reach the hamlet Monte di Nese, at 800 meters above sea level, in a beautiful panoramic position (about 20 kilometers from Bergamo). From the new parish church we continue briefly along the paved road, and then take on the left a mule track, which soon leads to a marked pass, called the Forcella.

Then turn left, starting to cross with a few ups and downs the steep northern slopes of Monte Cavallo, immersed in a thick forest.
You then reach a wide and rounded meadow hill — the Canto Basso — from which you continue in a west direction along the comfortable ridge, which later turns into a ridge, sometimes steep and bumpy. With a little effort and attention, we finally take you to the wide summit of Canto Alto, with its colossal cross: 1146 meters altitude, 1.30 hours from the start. The return takes place along the same path as the climb, and takes about 1.15 hours. In
the dark centuries of the Middle Ages, in the midst of the bloody disputes between Guelphs and Ghibellines, exactly on the top of the mountain, by virtue of its exceptional strategic position, a real and own fortress, repeatedly documented. Probably had to be a fortified structure of considerable size, as demonstrated by some excavations carried out in 1978, which brought to light among other things a cistern for the rainwater collection, an indication of the presence of an unlimited group of soldiers.

It should also be noted that we are in the heart of the Parco dei Colli, an important protected area that in recent decades has had the great merit of preserving almost intact the vast and suggestive a succession of hills that surround the city of Bergamo to the north.

Technical sheet
Travel time: 2.45 hours
Starting altitude: m. 800 Gain
altitude: m. 400 approx. lt; br> Difficulty: T — Tourist
Recommended period: All year round, in the absence of any
Region: Lombardy
Province: Bergamo
Valle/area: hill

Discover all other mountain excursions in Lombardy

scritto da wUmrLVWz wUmrLVWz - ultima modifica il 12/09/2019