The church was founded in 1137, the high altar was consecrated in 1185, and in 1187 the presbytery…read moreand the transept wings were completed. Due to financial troubles, the works dragged for the whole 13th14th centuries. The bell tower was built from 1436 (being completed around the end of the century), while in 14811491 a new sacristy added after the old one had been destroyed by Bartolomeo Colleoni to erect his personal mausoleum, the Colleoni Chapel.
In 1521, Pietro Isabello finished the south-western portal, also known as Porta della Fontana. The edifice was restored and modified in the 17th century.
Fronted by a marble facade and a portico whose columns rise out of the backs of lions, the interior is a baroque celebration of gilding, woodcarving and tapestries. Gaetano Donizetti, the opera composer, who was born in Bergamo in 1797 and returned here to die in 1848, is entombed in a marble sarcophagus that's as excessive as the rest of the church's decor. Among the finest works are the choir stalls, with rich wood inlays depicting landscapes and biblical scenes, the creation of Lorenzo Lotto. The octagonal Baptistery in the piazza outside the church was originally inside but removed, reconstructed, and much embellished in the 19th century.
Altogether more awe-inspiring than the neighbouring Cathedral, the Basilica is crammed with historical artefacts and is a must-see place during your idyll in Bergamo.
