Saying Piazza Vecchia (old square)means saying Città Alta (upper Bergamo): it was for centuries the fulcrum of the political power of Bergamo and still today it continues to be the place where you meet and enjoy your free time. The square is overlooked by majestic and imposing buildings arranged according to a harmonious and perfect geometry, so much so that Le Corbusier said that “you can no longer touch even a stone, it would be a crime”. The Palazzo della Ragione , which dates back to the end of 1100 and represents the oldest existing Lombard municipal seat, and the Civic Tower, known as “ il Campanone ”, stand out. In the center of Piazza Vecchia you can admire the Contarini fountain, donated to the city in 1780 by Podestà Alvise Contarini. On the opposite side of the square stands the Palazzo Nuovo, seat of the Municipality until 1873 and today of the Angelo Mai Library which preserves a book heritage consisting of incunabula, sixteenth century, prints, manuscripts and other priceless finds value, making it one of the most important libraries in Italy.
