San Vigilio Castle

San Vigilio Castle, locally known as Castello di San Vigilio, lies in the city of Bergamo, in the Bergamo province in the Lombardy region in Italy.

The first fortification upon this almost 500 m high hill is thought to have been a Roman watch tower. The first mention of a fortification here dates from the 6th century. During the next centuries a small chapel was built in the vicinity of the castle and the castle was thus called Castello della Cappella (Castle of the Chapel).

In 889 the castle was conquered by the Frankish troops of Arnulf of Carinthia, the Carolingian king of East Francia. In 1166, because of its strategic importance, the city of Bergamo, situated on an adjacent hill, ordered a new castle to be built to replace the old one. After the Visconti family came to regional power, they started to enlarge and strengthen the castle until it was completed in 1335.

The 15th century saw the beginning of the domination of the Venetian Republic, and at the end of that century they updated and strengthened the castle. It was besieged and taken several times in the first part of the 15th century by French, Spanish and Venetian troops.

In the 2nd part of that century, the Venetians constructed the Bergamo city walls. San Vigilio Castle, situated on a hill next to the old city, was changed considerably because of this; its central keep was demolished to allow for a subterranean tunnel connecting the castle to the northern bastion of the city. Also, barracks and a castellan's residence were erected in the castle.

That the castle remained a strategic stronghold is attested by the fact that in 1797, after the disintegration of the Venetian Republic, the French troops of the Cisalpine Republic first settled here when they took over the city. In the first part of the 19th century, the Austrian Empire took over and dismantled the castle. After this it lost its military purpose.

At the end of the 19th century, the castle came into private hands before being acquired by the Bergamo municipality in the mid-20th century.

San Vigilio Castle is freely accessible as it now serves as a public park. A nice castle on a great setting, offering fantastic views over the city of Bergamo and the surrounding countryside. Also, do visit the beautiful historic center of Bergamo itself, which also features Bergamo Castle.

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