I have been to many beautiful churches and seen a lot of incredible architecture in my life so far, but this is definitely the most beautiful church I have ever seen. The outside is magnificent, but the true beauty is the interior. The main basilica is absolutely stunning, but all the walls and ceilings are also covered with elaborate and stunning frescoes, statues and paintings. It is a beautiful church, with only a €2 entrance fee. I could’ve spent hours in the church, it was genuinely breathtaking. A must visit.

Absolutely breathtaking is the only way to describe this stunning place of worship. For anyone interested in Sacred places and beautiful architecture this is a 'must see'! There is a charge of €5 per adult but it is well worth the cost.

The main church of the Upper Town dates back to the 12th century, as its Romano-Lombard exterior recalls. It was originally built as a baptismal church at the cathedral. Its initially secondary role was manifested in the fact that the basilica has no central entrance and no main facade at all. You can take the beautiful Renaissance Colleoni chapel for it, but it is an independent building built on the site of the demolished apse of this basilica. What awaits you inside is not what awaits you outside. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the church was rebuilt and it received a Baroque interior, although the frescoes of the XIV century have been preserved. There is one painting by the artist Luca Giordano in the basilica. However, the most important "feature" of the church is the grave of Donizetti. The famous composer, a native of Bergamo, is not accidentally buried here. His introduction to music took place at the charity choir school for boys under the guidance of the German composer Simon Mayr, the kapellmeister of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. And even the requiem for Bellini's death, commissioned by Donizetti, was first performed within the walls of this particular church.

The altars are beautiful, the ceilings are spectacular. The paintings, especially in the side chapels, are lovely. There are frescos. But we were most impressed by the number of picturesque tapestries that adorn the walls. It feels like every square inch is covered with some kind of ornamentation. Well worth the €5 entry fee.

This had been a sacred place for a long time, with a previous Romanic church and a Roman temple on the spot. For the present day basilica, you can find the year 1137 carved in the Lions Gate. You can enter the building by the side doors; the Lions Gate is the one facing the Duomo Piazza, but the later Fontana Gate is also worth a look, going around the block. The facade, attached to Colleoni´s chapel, is beautiful by itself, but the latter stands out. I was concerned about all the children playing to ride and jump from the 14C reddish Veronese marble lions. Before getting in, admire the 3 saints statues (St Barbara, St Vincent and St Alexander) and the Virgin and Child upon them, with 2 more saints. The Baroque interior show Flemish tapestries. The transept chancels and the carved confessionary are masterpieces. It’s free of charge, but a donation is expected,

You should check out the many churches that Bergamo has to offer. One is more impressive than the other. The best place to start is Piazza Duomo, where several churches are located together. Particularly beautiful is the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. There is a small entrance fee for this one - all the others, including the Duomo, were free to visit.