Tunnels, caverns, cisterns: underground Bergamo hides secrets as evocative as those visible in sunlight
Conveying water to a city perched on a hill was of paramount importance and allowed in the event of a siege to hold out for a long time.
All the springs within the circle of walls were then used and their water was channeled and collected in cisterns.
But how to purify the water? By resorting to the double tank system, a technique already in use by the ancient Romans. Water from the spring was channeled and allowed to slow down inside the first tank, letting impurities (sand and other corpuscles) settle to the bottom.
The structure you will be able to visit dates back five hundred years: the setting is decidedly atmospheric, with the ceiling vault converging into a single column, amidst the reverberations produced by the crystal-clear water that fills this pool, capable of holding as much as 400 cubic meters!
However, the fountain boasts much older origins. It was first mentioned in a document dated 928, from which we learn the etymology of the name “Lantro”(Later, meaning “cavern of water”) was used for the supply of water for domestic use, for tanning hides, washing clothes, and animals were led there to drink. The Later supplied water to the population until the late 19th century, when the municipal aqueduct came into operation.
The Lantro Fountain can only be visited on special occasions throughout the year, thanks to openings curated by the Bergamo Speleological Group Le Nottole in collaboration with the City of Bergamo, or as part of some initiatives promoted by UniAcque in collaboration with theBergamo City Tourist Guide Association.
Annual opening dates are usually announced in April.
OPENING DATES 2026
April 26
May 31
June 28
July 26
August 15
August 30
September 27
October 25
2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
