Bergamo

Bergamo is the capital of its province, in Lombardy, and is divided into two parts: the Città Alta, the medieval core set on the hills where the Orobic Prealps end, home to its major monuments, and the Città Bassa. They are separated by the 16th-century Venetian walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, and in 2023 it was Italian Capital of Culture together with Brescia. With some 121,000 inhabitants, it is known as the 'city of the Thousand' after the roughly 180 volunteers from Bergamo who took part in Garibaldi's expedition. Its great sporting reference is Atalanta, founded in 1907 and winner of the UEFA Europa League in 2024, joined by a women's volleyball side with European titles and the Il Lombardia, one of cycling's five Monuments, which often starts or finishes in the city. Bergamo has been designated European City of Sport 2027, a recognition that places it within the broad Italian representation of the ACES network.