Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of St. Mary Major), Bergamo (must see)

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is a significant church with a rich history. According to popular tradition, which is partially supported by documents, the church was constructed in response to a vow made by the citizens of Bergamo in 1133. They pledged to the Virgin Mary to protect the city from the devastating plague that was ravaging northern Italy during that time.

The southern entrance, known as the entrance of the "White Lions," bears an inscription stating that the church was founded in 1137. It was built on the site of an earlier 8th-century church dedicated to St. Mary, which itself stood atop a Roman temple dedicated to the Clemence.

The church faces the square known as Piazza Duomo, with its main facade originally connected to the Bishops' Palace, rendering it without an entrance. The external appearance of the Basilica has largely retained its Lombard Romanesque origins. Visitors can access the church through two entrances: one designed by Giovanni da Campione in 1353 and the other by Isabello's Porta della Fontana.

The main apse of the Basilica is adorned with a loggia topped by two friezes featuring geometric and vegetal patterns. It also possesses blind arcades with semi-columns, whose capitals predominantly depict vegetal themes. However, one capital stands out, as it is adorned with Angels blowing trumpets associated with the Last Judgment. The transept's apses mirror the structure of the main apse.

Noteworthy within the Basilica is Giovanni da Campione's porch, located in the left transept. This porch is supported by columns that emerge from lions sculpted in Veronese marble. The arch of the porch showcases a frieze depicting hunting scenes, while the vault is decorated with polychrome lozenges. A loggia houses statues of St. Barbara, St. Vincent, and St. Alexander. At its peak, there is a Gothic niche crafted by Hans von Fernach in 1403, featuring the Madonna with Child, flanked by St. Esther and St. Grata, created in 1398. Another porch, created by Giovanni da Campione, can be found in the right transept. It possesses a similar, though simpler, structure and is supported by columns adorned with lions sculpted in white marble. This porch showcases reliefs depicting Christ Crowned by Saints and the Birth of the Baptist.

Additionally, Isabello's Renaissance porch, characterized by a fresco attributed to Andrea Previtali, graces the lunette. The fresco portrays the Nativity of Mary, also known as Mary's Birth.