HISTORY OF BERGAMO
The name
"Bergamo" derives from the celtic "Berg-hem" that means "house on the mountain". The city was submitted to the Celts until 197 a.C., when it was conquered by Rome and is called Bergomum. In this period
Bergamo became a flourishing town hall with about 10000 inhabitants. When it is converted to the Christianity it suffers persecutions and sees the martyrdom of the current patron of the city Saint Alexander . All the V century saw various barbaric invasions: the
Alarico’s Goti, that in the 403 set fire to the city, the
Attila’s Unni, the
Vandali, the
Eruli, the
Alani. In the VI century the
Longobardi found the deserted city and install themselves there. Under the reign of
Teodolinda the city knew a period of relative calm. It passed later under the dominion of the German Emperors. In 1166 they took part in the rebellion against
Federico I, called the
Barbarossa, making themselves promoters of the Lombard League, the anti-imperial union of 16 cities, created with the oath of
Pontida (from the name of the locality,
Pontida, in which exactly it was kept). But less than 20 years later, in 1184, the
Barbarossa entered in
Bergamo welcomed with enthusiasm demonstrations. In XIII century also
Bergamo and its territory was going through the fight between
Guelfi and
Ghibellini; among the more illustrious families of the city, the
Colleoni came out in favour of the first and
Suardi of the second ones. The
Suardi succeed, in 1295, in chasing away the
Colleoni with the help of the
Visconti of Milan. In 1428
Bergamo became finally part of the
“Serenissima” Republic of Venice, that had Muraine’s fortification completed. In 1630 the shortage and the epidemic of plague caused the death of 10000 inhabitants. In 1796 French revolutionary troops entered in the city putting an end to the long Venetian dominion and founding the
Bergamo Republic, whose short life was concluded in 1805 with the treaty of
Campoformio and with its inclusion in the reign of
Napoleone’s Italy. In 1815
Bergamo was made an Austrian colony by the Conference of
Vienna. The 8 june 1859
Giuseppe Garibaldi entered in the city, putting an end to the Austrian dominion.
Porta San Lorenzo, from which he passed, was recalled
Porta Garibaldi. The successive year 178 natives of
Bergamo followed
Garibaldi in the expedition of the Thousands for the liberation and the conquest of the southern Italy. For the elevated number of participants to the expedition,
Bergamo is still today called "the city of the Thousands". In 1901 the Muraine, that acted as customs until little years before, were demolished. Subsequently
Bergamo alived the historical events of united Italy (the beginning of 1900's, First and Second World War). In 1958 the cardinal
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was appointed Pope
Giovanni XXIII. In 1972 the civil airport of
Orio al Serio was opened and in 1985 the first transplant of heart was carried out in the
Ospedali Riuniti.
