Porta San Giacomo, Venetian city gate in Città Alta, Bergamo, Italy
Porta San Giacomo is a Venetian city gate in the upper district of Bergamo, faced in white marble and flanked by classical columns. Above the opening, the winged lion of Saint Mark is carved into the entablature, marking it as part of the Venetian defensive wall system.
The gate was built in 1592 to replace an earlier wooden structure, as part of a larger effort by Venice to fortify Bergamo. The walls were designed to defend the city against threats from Spanish-controlled Milan to the west.
The gate takes its name from a church that was torn down when the walls were built. It still marks the southern entrance to the medieval upper city and is crossed daily by both locals and visitors.
The gate connects Via San Giacomo in the upper city with Via Sant'Alessandro in the lower city, making it a natural passage between the two levels. It is easy to reach on foot and works well as a starting point for walking along the Venetian walls.
The white marble used for the facade was quarried in the Cavallina Valley, which sets this gate apart from the other entrances to the upper city. It is the only one of Bergamo's gates finished with this type of stone cladding.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
