The Great Artist and his land

Bergamo Alta is one of the places near Milan which fascinates me the most! The upper town, with its Piazza Vecchia, its impressive Venetian walls and its gates, has dominated the plains since the time of the Romans. Due to my passion for 16th and 17th century painting, I especially love visiting Palazzo Moroni, owned by the Moroni family since 1636, a family which counts among its members the painter Giovanni Battista Moroni (1522 – 1578/79) who is renowned for his famous portrait paintings. The stately home’s imposing staircase is decorated with large frescoes by the Cremasco painter Barbello.  Upon reaching the “piano nobile” (noble floor) you can admire the Moroni Collection displayed throughout a series of richly decorated rooms and halls, among which you can see the famous portraits of Gian Gerolamo Grumelli (The Knight in Pink) and Isotta Brembati by Giovanni Battista Moroni. Returning to Bergamo’s plains, specifically to Stezzano, I stop over at Villa Moroni, which is the perfect venue for organizing corporate and private events. I am welcomed into the Villa’s richly furnished rooms by Piero Moroni, its owner and host, who lives there most of the year with his wife. Piero regales me with interesting family stories, taking me on a historic journey of the many traditions of the region, and describes the magnificent works of art which adorn the Villa’s walls.