Accademia Carrara

Top choice in Bergamo


Just east of the old city walls is one of Italy's great art repositories. Founded in 1780, it contains an exceptional range of Italian masters. Raphael's San Sebastiano is a highlight, and other artists represented include Botticelli, Canaletto, Mantegna and Titian.

The collection was started by local scholar Count Giacomo Carrara (1714–96) and has now swelled to 1800 paintings dating from the 15th to 19th centuries. Reopened after a seven-year renovation, the gallery's displays revolve around 28 rooms. Highlights include the sections on Giovanni Bellini, Florence and the major local artists Lorenzo Lotto and Giovanni Battista Moroni.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bergamo attractions

2. Chiesa di San Bernardino

0.27 MILES

Worth a visit for Lorenzo Lotto’s stylistically evolved altarpiece, the Pala di San Bernardino (1521), which depicts the Madonna beneath a dynamic,…

3. Chiesa di San Michele al Pozzo Bianco

0.29 MILES

This dark chilly church is home to an entire Lorenzo Lotto fresco-cycle devoted to the Storie della Vergine (Stories of the Virgin Mother; 1525)…

4. Chiesa del Santo Spirito

0.39 MILES

Look for the Venetian-inspired countryside and colour palette that defines Lorenzo Lotto's Pala di Santo Spirito (1521), where the Madonna sits beneath a…

5. Rocca

0.45 MILES

This impressive fortress is dominated by a round tower that dates from Bergamo's days as a Venetian outpost. La Rocca houses part of the city's history…

6. Torre di Gombito

0.58 MILES

For a wonderful view from one of the highest points in the old town, climb the 12th-century Gombito Tower. Visits must be reserved in advance at the…

7. Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano

0.6 MILES

At the eastern edge of the lower town, this 17th-century church has a baroque facade (dating from 1897). Inside is Lorenzo Lotto’s largest altarpiece, the…

8. Palazzo Nuovo

0.61 MILES

The white, porticoed Palazzo Nuovo defines the northern side of Piazza Vecchia. Designed in 1611 by a brilliant architectural mind from Vicenza, Vincenzo…