Parco dei Colli di Bergamo, Regional natural park in Province of Bergamo, Italy
Parco dei Colli di Bergamo is a protected natural area in Lombardy between the Brembo and Serio rivers, covering 47 square kilometres and reaching from 244 metres up to Canto Alto at 1,144 metres. Most of its surface is woodland, with terraced vegetable plots, vineyards and meadows on the slopes above Bergamo. The Morla and Quisa rivers cross the park, and its headquarters is in the former convent of Santa Maria in Valmarina.
The area was designated as Lombardy's third regional park in 1977, then expanded in 2007 to cover more municipalities. Benedictine monks had already settled here from the 11th century onward, permanently reshaping the land through terracing and new paths.
The Road of the Benedictine Monasteries connects four medieval abbeys through the Astino and Valmarina valleys, where monastic communities shaped the land over centuries. Old stone walls, chapels and terraced fields are still visible today, showing how religious life once organized this territory.
The trail network is well marked and covers options from gentle walks to steep climbs, making the park open to a wide range of fitness levels. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable conditions for walking, when paths are less slippery and the woodland is easier to move through.
The park's rocks are sedimentary, dating from the Triassic between 200 and 70 million years ago, and include limestone types such as Calcare di Sedrina, Calcare di Moltrasio and Calcare marnoso di Domaro. Quaternary lake clays and sands also lie in the Almè and Petosino area. The park's headquarters is in the former convent of Santa Maria in Valmarina.
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