San Martino Museum of Sacred Art

In the historic center of Alzano Lombardo, a few kilometers from Bergamo, the San Martino Museum Complex represents one of the most fascinating testimonies of the artistic and religious heritage of Lombardy. It is an extraordinary place where art, history and faith meet in a highly evocative itinerary that includes the Basilica of San Martino, the famous Monumental Sacristies and the San Martino Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the elegant Palazzo Pelliccioli.

The Basilica, built in the 17th century and designed by architect Gerolamo Quadrio, is one of the most significant examples of Lombard Baroque. Inside it holds works of great value, created by some of the major artists active between the 17th and 18th centuries, including Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Giambettino Cignaroli, Francesco Capella, Andrea Fantoni and Gian Battista Caniana.

Making the complex even more unique are the Monumental Sacristies, authentic masterpieces of Baroque decorative art, where wooden carvings, inlays, frescoes and stuccoes blend into rooms of rare elegance. The tour continues in the Museum of Sacred Art, which preserves a precious collection of paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, liturgical objects and sacred vestments, evidence of the artistic and spiritual richness that has characterized the community of Alzano over the centuries.

Among works by masters such as Tintoretto, Palma the Elder, Cavagna and Cifrondi, frescoed rooms and fine sacred art artifacts, the San Martino Museum Complex offers visitors an engaging and emotionally rich experience, making it a must-see for those wishing to discover one of the most surprising cultural treasures of the Bergamo area.

Discovering the St. Martin’s Museum Complex

The complex offers a fascinating journey through some of Bergamo’s most important artistic and religious treasures. The tour begins at the Basilica of San Martino where frescoes, stuccoes and works by artists such as Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Giambettino Cignaroli and Francesco Capella dialogue with wooden masterpieces created by Andrea Fantoni and Gian Battista Caniana.

Connected to the basilica are the famous Monumental Sacristies represent one of the pinnacles of Lombard decorative art. The spectacular carvings of the Fantoni workshop, the elegant furnishings of the Caniana, the frescoes of Antonio Cifrondi and Giulio Quaglio, and the refined stuccoes of the Sala family transform these rooms into authentic treasure chests of art.

The tour continues inside the San Martino Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the historic Palazzo Pelliccioli. Here are preserved paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, liturgical objects and precious sacred vestments that testify to centuries of faith, culture and very high artistic patronage.
Among the most significant works are St. Christopher attributed to Tintoretto, the Martyrdom of St. Peter of Verona by Palma the Elder and important works by Cavagna and Cifrondi.

Rounding out the visit is the striking Hall of Honor, embellished with a frescoed vault attributed to Giuseppe Orelli, a monumental 17th-century fireplace, and the imposing Alcove of Ganymede by Grazioso Fantoni the Younger, which became part of the museum itinerary in 2024.

Price

Tickets from €6
Details and reductions on the Museum’s official website.

Opening times

The museum is open weekday mornings and afternoons, Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons.
Closed Tuesdays.

For updates and special openings/closures, see the official website.

Getting there

The complex is easily accessible from downtown Bergamo either by car or by public transportation by taking the T1 streetcar line from Bergamo station (Alzano Centro stop, then about a 5-minute walk).