Porta Sant'Alessandro, City gate in Città Alta, Bergamo, Italy
Porta Sant'Alessandro is a gate providing access to Bergamo's Upper Town, built with thick stone walls and vaulted passages as part of the Venetian defensive system. The structure displays typical Renaissance military architecture with robust masonry and strategic defensive features.
The gate was built in 1561 as part of the larger Venetian fortification project that protected Bergamo's Upper Town. Its construction took place where the Basilica of Saint Alexander had stood, demolished to make way for the defensive structure.
The gate takes its name from Saint Alexander, the patron saint of Bergamo, whose basilica once occupied this spot. The name ties the structure to the religious identity of the city and shows how defensive construction reshaped sacred ground.
The gate sits at the northern edge of the Upper Town and is easily walkable from the historic center. The passage through the gate offers clear views of the fortification structure and allows free movement without restrictions.
A stone column beside the gate marks the exact location of the former basilica dedicated to Saint Alexander. This quiet memorial shows how Bergamo preserved the memory of its religious past at this spot, even after the church disappeared.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
