The itinerary, which unfurls between the castle, churches and streets of Calcio and the San Bernardino complex in Caravaggio, allows us to reconstruct the history of the Secco family and its impact on the town planning of Calcio.
In this way, the salient points to have characterised the history of the two towns over the centuries are evident, giving rise to a review of the ties woven with other historical Italian families and the added value that a lineage of such social standing has left in the Lower Bergamo area.
½ day route:
The family’s history is first connected with that of other Italian noble families, such as the d’Aragona, Suardi and Comneno clans. Intertwined, however, with the history of the family is also the urban history of Calcio and the surrounding area – the castle (built on a Roman villa, the mosaic floor of which is now preserved in the Bergamo museum) – today Silvestri – was enlarged, decorated and managed by the family until the 19th century, the oldest churches decorated and expanded thanks to contributions from the various family branches, the new parish church, as the second largest in Lombardy after Milan Cathedral, was started with the explicit support of a Secco family member.
½ day route:
The Church of San Bernardino was built from 1472. It was the Secco family who donated the land for the building, which was completed in 1488. The convent was given to the Observants of the Province of Milan, a reform movement of the Minor Orders. The Observants remained in Caravaggio until 1543, when it was handed over to the Riformati. Having survived the suppressions of the Austrian government, ‘San Bernardino’ could not withstand the French government, which declared it suppressed on 16th June 1798, inviting the religious orders to move to Crema. The French government sold the orchard and convent to a private buyer. Two changes of hands followed, after repeated petitions from the community calling for the return of the religious orders. The friars eventually returned but only for a few years. On 11th May 1810, the final closure took place. The property passed to the Ospedale Civile, which decided to rent it out. Part of the convent became a farmhouse whilst the guest quarters were expanded for use as barracks. Whilst the monastery underwent several transformations, the church – having always been open for worship – retained its original appearance. After the Second World War, the farmers left one by one. The cloister and grounds of San Bernardino were bought by the municipality in 1970, whilst in 1978 the hospital donated the church to the municipality. In 1973, the skilful restoration by Bergamo Architect Sandro Angelini saw it returned to the community for cultural and art activities. Located on the north side of the monastery complex, the church is oriented from west to east. The façade has a typical Gothic-Lombard structure. Above the rose window is a terracotta insert with the Bernardine symbol. Above the door lintel is a frescoed lunette with a 16th-century Nativity scene, the original appearance of which was altered with recent pictorial retouches, attributed by Tirloni (an art critic of Caravaggio, during his lifetime) to Fermo Stella, a Caravaggio painter from the 16th century. A small portico supported by stone columns covers the entrance. Added later (perhaps in the 17th century by the Riformati) does not impact the overall appearance.