18th-century Palazzos

This itinerary allows us to approach some architectural realities that seem very distant from each other yet are united by similar temporal developments and common productive activities. Through the story of families committed to enhancing their historic estates, we travel through time to discover unique and bewitching 18th-century residences.

½ day route:
The tour begins with a visit to the Villa Vitalba Lurani Cernuschi and the Convent of S. Nicola owned by the Vitalba family since the 18th century, with a passage to the Church of San Nicola, the Cloister and the Lurani Cernuschi winery.

½ day route:
The itinerary continues to Almenno San Bartolomeo to discover noble country residences from the 17th to 18th centuries that occupy the most privileged, best-exposed sites, with large gardens sloping down the hillside, forming a dignified environmental context. It starts with Villa Pesenti Cattaneo (also known as Villa dell’Amicizia), which is part of the old Carighetti nucleus and was the home of celebrated tenor Giuseppe Viganoni. It continues with Villa Malliana with its 17th-century layout, renovated in the 18th century, once belonging to the Malliani counts and the residence of Count Giuseppe Luigi Malliani who, after the Unification of Italy, became Mayor of Bergamo. The tour continues with a visit to Villa Quarenghi that belonged to the family, originally from Palazzago. In the 1920s, this was the historic meeting place of Lawyer Antonio Quarenghi (an amateur singer and owner of the villa) with Marco Bonesi, Antonio Dolci and the young Donizetti, who was 20 years old at the time.

½ day route:
We continue towards Scanzorosciate to discover Villa Pagnoncelli that dates back to the 18th century and has been inhabited since the 19th century by the town’s historic family of pharmacists who are today wine producers.