Almenno San Bartolomeo is located at the entrance to the Imagna Valley, 20min from Bergamo and one hour from Milan. It develops mainly in the plains between meadows and woods, within the Romanesque Park, formerly called "Lemine". The area offers an enchanting itinerary amongst the architectural beauties of Romanesque art: places to discover on foot or by bicycle, even with guided excursions.
There are many places not to be missed.
To begin, there is the Rotonda di San Tomè, or San Tomè as it is more generally known: a treasure of Romanesque architecture located outside the town in the midst of magnificent meadows and known not only for its ancient origins, but also for the events and details that link it to the history of the Templars.
And then the parish church of San Bartolomeo di Tremozia, demonstrating that the village also has its own jewels. Originally from the fifteenth century, if not older, the church became a parish in 1520 with the papal bull of Leo X and underwent a stylistic update starting from the same year; in 1562 it was also visited by San Carlo Borromeo, testifying to its importance.
There are also museums, such as the Museum of carpenter Tino Sana, a former apprentice carpenter who became a great entrepreneur with his company (founded in 1964) specialising in furniture for large cruise ships, restaurants, luxury hotels. The museum’s three floors originate from a simple tool shed, an environment that has evolved to tell the art of the carpenter's trade through its spaces, tools and specialisations: chair maker, model maker, wheeler, inlayer, cooper, luthier. All knowledge that has come to us thanks to tradition and recognised today as a high-profile cultural heritage.
Finally, there is the Museum of the Parietti furnace, an important nineteenth-century factory recovered from a recent restoration, for which contemporary architectural solutions have been adopted. Here, from 1835 to 1960, the Parietti family produced tiles and bricks, using material extracted from nearby quarries.
Almenno San Bartolomeo is part of the Imagna Valley and, therefore, here it is possible to taste many of the valley’s excellent typical food and wine products. Among the stand out products are definitely the cheeses (particular mention goes to stracchino), the cured meats and the game. Among the cured meats, don’t miss the salami, cotechini, pancetta, hams, salamelle and local loin.
And the traditional dishes? There are the casonsei or casoncelli from Bergamo, flavoured with amaretti biscuits, raisins, pear and lemon zest; polenta, emblem of the Orobic table, the food that has fed generations of people from Bergamo. They also produce grapes, berries (typical Albenza raspberry), honey and of course wine. Almenno is in effect part of the production area of Valcalepio DOC, an excellent wine which in its red version, with an intense aroma of black cherry and dry flavour, goes perfectly with local cheeses and cured meats.
Almenno San Bartolomeo is part of the Orange Flag Villages, a touristic-environmental quality recognition conferred by the Italian Touring Club (TCI) to the small municipalities of the Italian hinterland (maximum 15,000 inhabitants) which stand out for their excellent offer and quality hospitality.
WHY ORANGE FLAG TOURING CLUB
“This village stands out for the presence of numerous services and for the value of its historical and cultural elements, all accessible and well maintained, as well as being adequately enhanced thanks to an excellent tourist information service, carried out by the information point. Also of note is the quality of local artisanal products, in particular that of wood, to which a museum is also dedicated.” Elsa, ghost visitor TCI
Almenno San Bartolomeo is located at the entrance to the Imagna Valley, 20min from Bergamo and one hour from Milan. It develops mainly in the plains between meadows and woods, within the Romanesque Park, formerly called "Lemine". The area offers an enchanting itinerary amongst the architectural beauties of Romanesque art: places to discover on foot or by bicycle, even with guided excursions.
There are many places not to be missed.
To begin, there is the Rotonda di San Tomè, or San Tomè as it is more generally known: a treasure of Romanesque architecture located outside the town in the midst of magnificent meadows and known not only for its ancient origins, but also for the events and details that link it to the history of the Templars.
And then the parish church of San Bartolomeo di Tremozia, demonstrating that the village also has its own jewels. Originally from the fifteenth century, if not older, the church became a parish in 1520 with the papal bull of Leo X and underwent a stylistic update starting from the same year; in 1562 it was also visited by San Carlo Borromeo, testifying to its importance.
There are also museums, such as the Museum of carpenter Tino Sana, a former apprentice carpenter who became a great entrepreneur with his company (founded in 1964) specialising in furniture for large cruise ships, restaurants, luxury hotels. The museum’s three floors originate from a simple tool shed, an environment that has evolved to tell the art of the carpenter's trade through its spaces, tools and specialisations: chair maker, model maker, wheeler, inlayer, cooper, luthier. All knowledge that has come to us thanks to tradition and recognised today as a high-profile cultural heritage.
Finally, there is the Museum of the Parietti furnace, an important nineteenth-century factory recovered from a recent restoration, for which contemporary architectural solutions have been adopted. Here, from 1835 to 1960, the Parietti family produced tiles and bricks, using material extracted from nearby quarries.
Almenno San Bartolomeo is part of the Imagna Valley and, therefore, here it is possible to taste many of the valley’s excellent typical food and wine products. Among the stand out products are definitely the cheeses (particular mention goes to stracchino), the cured meats and the game. Among the cured meats, don’t miss the salami, cotechini, pancetta, hams, salamelle and local loin.
And the traditional dishes? There are the casonsei or casoncelli from Bergamo, flavoured with amaretti biscuits, raisins, pear and lemon zest; polenta, emblem of the Orobic table, the food that has fed generations of people from Bergamo. They also produce grapes, berries (typical Albenza raspberry), honey and of course wine. Almenno is in effect part of the production area of Valcalepio DOC, an excellent wine which in its red version, with an intense aroma of black cherry and dry flavour, goes perfectly with local cheeses and cured meats.
Almenno San Bartolomeo is part of the Orange Flag Villages, a touristic-environmental quality recognition conferred by the Italian Touring Club (TCI) to the small municipalities of the Italian hinterland (maximum 15,000 inhabitants) which stand out for their excellent offer and quality hospitality.
WHY ORANGE FLAG TOURING CLUB
“This village stands out for the presence of numerous services and for the value of its historical and cultural elements, all accessible and well maintained, as well as being adequately enhanced thanks to an excellent tourist information service, carried out by the information point. Also of note is the quality of local artisanal products, in particular that of wood, to which a museum is also dedicated.” Elsa, ghost visitor TCI
