FORTRESS OF BERGAMO - UNESCO HERITAGE SITE

The Area of Sant'Agostino, the Gateway to the City

The area of Sant'Agostino is today an organic set of buildings and urban systems: the former convent, the church, the gate, the bulwarks, the gunboats, etc. The design of the modern city is heavily influenced by the old convent. It was not demolished like other important buildings but instead was surrounded by the nascent walls (both because of the strong power of the Augustinian over the government of Venice and thanks to the payment of a substantial sum of money). This caused an expansion of the city walls to the south-east and the construction of three additional defensive walls (in addition to Sant'Agostino's bastion, there are also San Michele's and del pallone's nearby bastions). The majestic and imposing gate on the way to Venice was a symbol of the power of the Serenissima on the “mainland”. A tripartite fountain on the axis, similar to the gate, was built to enhance the appearance, with a refined chromatic contrast between dark stone and white marble. Over the centuries, the gate has changed its appearance as a result of numerous urban transformations and the reuse of architecture, making it difficult to understand the original structure of the sixteenth century.

The architectural and landscape nobility of Sant'Agostino is unmistakable; it is a symbol of Bergamo's identity. It is highly regarded for its historical, artistic, and cultural value. It is both a testament to social and urban development and an essential focal point of the city. Today the gate is the main driveway that allows entry into the upper town.

The University of Bergamo collaborates with the Museum of Stories in Bergamo on the project “PANORAMAMURA: a heritage that unites”. A project to create a “widespread” museum that tells the story of the fort. A historical itinerary along the Venetian walls, a journey in several stages that – from the gate of Sant'Agostino – leads to the discovery of the fortress. Discovering, visiting, learning, and feeling will once again be the focus of the Walls of Bergamo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017).

The BIP project will be developed on this theme and the students will be involved in a real case related to enhancing the Unesco site. In our opinion, students can find an exciting challenge in thinking about the St. Augustine area in a new way. Their goal will be to transform a place – the one indicated in red – to welcome visitors and tell the story of the city through a new arrangement of the green areas and buildings (the gate, the underground rooms, ...). Your students' ideas and solutions can be of great value. A point of view of this important place from a European perspective that differs from our own. We will ask the students – which we could divide into three heterogeneous groups – to prepare a power-point presentation with their ideas to be told with sketches, drawings and/or multimedia creations (as if they were participating in a design agreement). The presentation can be made public, not just to teachers, but also to an external audience