Bergamo

At the time of the annexation of the territory of Bergamo to the Kingdom of Italy, the Prefecture and the Provincial Administration were based in the citadel, located in the Città Alta (or, Upper City), part of the ancient Castello di Bernabò Visconti and owned by the State Property Office.

With the development of industry and commerce, it proved necessary to move to a more accessible and functional location for the needs of the citizens, namely to the lower part of the city, to the borough where Via Torquato Tasso is currently found.

Despite knowing that central government support could not be relied upon, the provincial administration approved the transfer in 1864, assuming all expenses. Works were completed in 1869 at a total cost of 640,000 lira, an amount that exceeded expectations as the building was further extended.
The initial design of the project was drawn up by Architects Cuminetti, Preda and Savoia, then approved in 1865 by the Provincial Deputation and later by the Council, granting current funds within the expenditure limit of 340,000 lire.

The new building was to house the offices of the prefecture, the new offices of the provincial administration, the Prefect’s residence, the offices of the police headquarters and the telegraph office.
The Palazzo is a good example of 19th-century decoration together with a patriotic synthesis. In the panels above the central windows, between the Corinthian columns, are five concrete high-reliefs depicting, from the left: “B. Colleoni Appointed Captain General of the Venetian Republic”, “B. Colleoni Gives to the Citizens”, “Bergamo (a woman) Between the Serio and Brembo Rivers”, “The Oath of Pontida” and “Alberico da Rosciate Gives the City Statutes”. Illustrious figures of Bergamo are then portrayed under the window sills on the first floor whilst the pilasters are linked to the decorative motifs of the Colleoni Chapel ... the city comes to celebrate itself.

The Palazzo was the first public work realised in Bergamo after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. Its construction marked and accelerated the profound urban renewal that broadened the conception of the village, opening up to the seats of civil institutions and future developments.