Sant’Alessandro is the name of the gate facing west, which used to be the main access to the city for those who came from Lecco and Como. Its name comes from the near church dedicated to Bergamo’s patron Saint, destroyed in 1561, as shown by a commemorative plaque located next to the only surviving column, in order to build the Walls. If you cross the gate you can still find the “Sant’Alessandro’s Column”, marking the exact spot where the old cathedral used to be.
Like the four other gates of the defensive walls, Porta Sant’Alessandro was likely to be erected in the same place where the Roman gates used to be: they were located all along the cardinal axes and were destroyed and rebuilt more than once during the Barbarian Invasions period. Today, this massive opening stands in the zone of Città Alta called Colle Aperto (“Open Hill”), a name whose origin dates back to the XIX Century, when the area leading to Sant’Alessandro Gate from Viale delle Mura was levelled. The square provides a stunning view of both the monumental part of the old town and the landscape.
Like the other gates of the Walls, every night at 10 Sant’Agostino Gate used to be closed to guarantee the city’s safety.
Sant’Alessandro is the name of the gate facing west, which used to be the main access to the city for those who came from Lecco and Como. Its name comes from the near church dedicated to Bergamo’s patron Saint, destroyed in 1561, as shown by a commemorative plaque located next to the only surviving column, in order to build the Walls. If you cross the gate you can still find the “Sant’Alessandro’s Column”, marking the exact spot where the old cathedral used to be.
Like the four other gates of the defensive walls, Porta Sant’Alessandro was likely to be erected in the same place where the Roman gates used to be: they were located all along the cardinal axes and were destroyed and rebuilt more than once during the Barbarian Invasions period. Today, this massive opening stands in the zone of Città Alta called Colle Aperto (“Open Hill”), a name whose origin dates back to the XIX Century, when the area leading to Sant’Alessandro Gate from Viale delle Mura was levelled. The square provides a stunning view of both the monumental part of the old town and the landscape.
Like the other gates of the Walls, every night at 10 Sant’Agostino Gate used to be closed to guarantee the city’s safety.
