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Lot Essay
Bergamo was an important urban centre from Roman times and, despite being destroyed at the hands of Atilla the Hun, it was rebuilt and continued to be an influential town in the Medieval period, becoming a free commune in 1108. At the end of the thirteenth century Bergamo came under the control of the Visconti family of Milan, and in 1428 it was surrendered to the Venetian Republic, who ruled the city for almost four hundred years. It was during this period that the impressive city walls were built, in the 16th Century, and they are still a major feature of the city, separating Bergamo Alta from Bergamo Bassa on the slopes below.
Venetian hegemony left its mark on the artistic life of Bergamo, and the artist who left the strongest impression on Bergamese painting was undoubtedly Lorenzo Lotto, who lived in the city from 1513-25. He painted a number of important altarpieces for the city's churches, as well as frecoes. From the late-16th to the early-19th Century Bergamo became a recognised centre of artistic activity, culminating in 1810 with the creation of the Accademia Carrara.
This rare view of Bergamo shows the upper city, and many of its distinctive landmarks are clearly visible. The huge city wall, and the entrance at the Porta San Giacomo can be seen, the latter carved with the Lion of Saint Mark. The Campanile di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Torre Civica and the Torre di Gombito are all visible on the skyline. Outside the walls in the foreground, the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio can also be seen on the left. This view was engraved a number of times by Giorgio Fossati (1706-1785), Marco Sebastiano Giampiccoli (1737-1809) and others, although no artist is credited with the original prototype. We are grateful to Professor Lino Moretti for his help in cataloguing this lot.
Venetian hegemony left its mark on the artistic life of Bergamo, and the artist who left the strongest impression on Bergamese painting was undoubtedly Lorenzo Lotto, who lived in the city from 1513-25. He painted a number of important altarpieces for the city's churches, as well as frecoes. From the late-16th to the early-19th Century Bergamo became a recognised centre of artistic activity, culminating in 1810 with the creation of the Accademia Carrara.
This rare view of Bergamo shows the upper city, and many of its distinctive landmarks are clearly visible. The huge city wall, and the entrance at the Porta San Giacomo can be seen, the latter carved with the Lion of Saint Mark. The Campanile di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Torre Civica and the Torre di Gombito are all visible on the skyline. Outside the walls in the foreground, the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio can also be seen on the left. This view was engraved a number of times by Giorgio Fossati (1706-1785), Marco Sebastiano Giampiccoli (1737-1809) and others, although no artist is credited with the original prototype. We are grateful to Professor Lino Moretti for his help in cataloguing this lot.