BERGAMO and ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME MOVIE SET’
Ever heard about Bergamo?
It is a small town in Northern Italy, few miles from Milan.
If you have watched the oscar-winning movie ‘Call me by Your Name’, this is the place where Oliver and Elio kiss. They are near the Cathedral and you can start a tour from here. As it happens with many old hamlets, Bergamo is split into two. The historical centre is called ‘Bergamo Alta’ (Upper Bergamo) and the newest area is ‘Bergamo Bassa’, (Downtown Bergamo). Upper Bergamo is so beautiful and so rich in history that it belongs to the UNESCO Heritage. Visiting it is like living in a sort of Henry Potter’s movie: a magical atmosphere along narrow streets of cobblestone connecting to Downtown Bergamo by an indefinite number of stairway, winding up and down. As it happens for all medieval hamlets a wall belt protects from conquerors. And within those same walls a ‘ex-house of pleasure’is still there with its number of chimneys, one for each room. But what is is Bergamo renowned for? Opera lovers find here Donizetti’s birthplace and his simple house is to be seen. In the main street, la Corsarola, Donizetti’s airs used to be played during festivals and celebrations.
If you hear 130 beats at night do not be afraid! This is an old tradition: the Civic Tower bell-tolling advises that the town gates are to be closed. That does not apply to the local gay life, of course! There is a well-known bar in Bergamo, the Mamo’s, which organizes great parties mostly during weekends. One curiosity for the ‘foodies’ of you: the taste ‘stracciatella’ was invented here. Try an amazing ice cream at ‘Caffè Marianna’. Last but not least: ever tried a funicular? In Bergamo you can, between Upper and Down town Bergamo and you can enjoy an amazing view on the roofs.
THE MAGIC OF A MINOR ITALY: THE SERIO CASCADES
When thinking of Italy, most people refer to touristic must-sees, such as Rome, Venice, Naples…not considering small towns, hamlets and parks, where it is possible to discover unexpected beauties and natural paradises. For example, have you ever heard about the Serio Cascades? They have gone to the fore as the setting of ‘Call Me ByYour Name’ movie, oscar-winning under Guadagnino’s direction. These cascades are quite unusual. They have been originated by an artificial dam, which opens and closes in several times of the year, creating a spectacular effects of waterfalls. Elio and Oliver, the two main characters in ‘Call Me By Your Name’ go on a day trip there, before Elio leaves definetely for America. Here, they enjoy their love story under a huge cascade, more than one mile high. The local small village of Val Bondione is the frame of their last day together. The amazing nature here seems to have been the scenery for myths and legends, in which love is the mainstream. There is a legend about the beautiful Serio Cascades: once upon a time there was a rich landlady who fell in love with a humble villain. The latter refused the court of the landlady as he already loved another girl in the village. The chatelaine went on a fury and jailed the girl in her castle. The young beloved cried and cried and her tears turned into a river which destroyed the castle and gave life to the beautiful cascades.
If you like walking into the green and get under the waterfalls, you will enjoy an unpayable romantic view, especially if you are with your beloved!