Bergamo Accademia Carrara

The greatest single must-visit in the modern centre of Bergamo, the lower town, is the Accademia Carrara.   One of Italy’s finest provincial galleries, it provides an admirable trot through Italian art history (indeed, art history in general) with over 1,800 paintings dating from the 15th to the 19th century, by artists including Pisanello, Botticelli, Bellini, Canaletto, Raphael and so many more.

The origins of the art gallery lie with the Count Giacomo Carrara, a wealthy collector and patron of the arts, who left a generous legacy to the city of Bergamo at the end of the 18th century.   At the same time as the public opening of his gallery, the Count decreed that drawing and painting courses be initiated in the same place. The school, which was located in the same building as the art gallery until 1912, now has its own premises nearby.

Just a short drive from the centre of Bergamo, this impressive museum will reward every visitor with its fabulous collection of paintings augmented by an extensive array of drawings, prints, bronzes, sculptures, porcelain, furniture and medals.