Torre dei Caduti

In the centre of the modern city: Bergamo never seen!

In the centre of Lower Bergamo, a few steps from the Porta Nuova porticoes, stands the monument dedicated to those who died during WWI.
Inside, a fascinating exhibition recounts the creation of the Centro Piacentiniano and city life around the Tower, which has become the symbol of modern Bergamo. At the end of the six-storey exhibit, an unprecedented panorama awaits you on the terrace: Bergamo like you’ve never seen it before.

Statua dell'Italia Vittoriosa. Un dettaglio della Torre dei Caduti

Victorious Italy, Alfredo Faino, 1923

At the centre of the tower, positioned between the clock and large window, is a statue of Victory, completed in 1923. After several surveys and submitted designs, the selection committee decided to award the work to the Bergamo sculptor Alfredo Faino (1885-1944). Initially the sculpture was to be made in Zandobbio stone, but later bronze was chosen. It’s an allegory of Victorious Italy: the woman depicted, dressed in battle clothes, holds Victory in her right hand, while in her left is a sword in a resting position.

meccanismi dorati dell'orologio della Torre dei Caduti

Clock gears

Now displayed on the fifth floor of the tower, this mechanism once operated the external two-dial clock. The Chevilles escapement, also known as the ‘pin wheel escapement’, with pins perpendicular to the plane of the escapement wheel instead of traditional teeth, is a unique technical detail. Invented in the early 18th century, it was widely used because it was robust and required very little maintenance. Using the ‘continuous chain’ method, it kept time even during the winding phase, which was carried out every twelve hours. As the company that held the patent for the automatic winding of tower clocks in Italy, Cavalier Giovanni Frassoni was the most important manufacturer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Altoparlante in teca, sullo sfondo fotografie della Torre dei Caduti

Loudspeaker

The audio system that was used at the Memorial Tower assembles components made by various brands in different years. The loudspeaker was used to broadcast music and speeches to the square below. The LESA-brand turntable is the VE1 model, produced from 1940 to 1948. The radio and amplifier are by the Condor company of Milan. The loudspeaker itself bears the Geloso trademark and appears in the 1953 catalogue. The ‘lily’ shape and the materials used were specially designed for outdoor set-ups. The maximum power of the system was 50 watts.

Torre dei Caduti

Over the decades, the Torre dei Caduti has become the most recognizable symbol of the part of the city designed by Marcello Piacentini.

In the late 19th century, the transfer of the administrative and commercial centre from Upper to Lower Bergamo formalized the transformation of the entire area where the tower stands.

In 1907, Marcello Piacentini and Giuseppe Quaroni‘s design was selected as the winner of the competition for the redevelopment of the area, as it met the requirements of functionality and modernization and respected the vision of the upper city.

The construction of the area was interrupted at the outbreak of WWI and only resumed at the end, with an important modification: the function of the tower had changed. From a decorative building, it became a monument to memorialize Bergamo’s fallen soldiers of the First World War, acquiring a public role

Vista da Bergamo bassa con panorama su Città Alta

Discover the path

From a purely decorative element to a monument in memory of Bergamo’s fallen soldiers of WWI: a six-stage journey through the history of the building and its exhibition.

01

A war memorial

The first floor of the building reminds us of the sacrifice made by people from Bergamo during WWI

Read More
02

Bergamo in the Great War

On the second floor, the story of the construction of the tower and life in Bergamo during the Great War

Read More
03

Public life at the foot of the tower

Piacentini’s construction reinforced the area around the tower as a centre of local life

Read More
04

Daily life around the tower

On the fourth floor, a focus on leisure and recreation in the heart of Lower Bergamo

Read More
05

The old clock

The fifth floor is dedicated to the clock’s inner working

Read More
06

Bergamo like you’ve never seen it before!

A 360° panoramic view of the city from the terrace

Read More

Buy your ticket 

Book your visit

Exciting tours to discover  Torre dei Caduti! Enjoy the tower in a natural and playful way, doing something involving. Tour available  in english language

Buy the all in one ticket

The six places in the Museum network can be visited with one ticket! It’s called ALL IN ONE and is valid for 48 hours

Saturday – Sunday & Holidays: 10-13 | 15-18

Closed on Christmas and New Year’s Eve

The building has architectural barriers.

Small dogs are allowed but must be kept in a pet carrier. Guide dogs are permitted at all times.

Full 5€

Reduced 3€
Amici del Museo delle storie di Bergamo, University students up to 26 years old, Groups of 15 people, discounts

Free 
Under 18, disabled people, ICOM members, accredited journalists, qualified tour guides, Abbonamento Musei Lombardia

Getting here