Description of the attraction
The historic center of Bormio, with its ancient palaces, towers, churches, chapels, cobbled streets, squares and fountains, serves as a living reminder of the city's glorious past as an important trading point between Milan and the northern alpine territories. Bormio is a popular ski resort and its carefully restored historic center has been partially converted into a pedestrian zone.
Most of the buildings date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, the heyday of Bormio, when impressive churches were built and palazzo palaces were frescoed and decorated with graceful stone portals. At the same time, noble merchant families erected the first high towers as a demonstration of their power.
Today, tourists can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the past by going for a walk in the old center of Bormio. It is best to start your journey on Via Roma. At the very beginning of this graceful street, lined with palaces, stands the beautiful Romanesque church of San Vitale with a wooden altarpiece from the 14th century. A little further, you can see Torre degli Alberti - one of the city's most prominent towers.
Via Roma leads to Piazza Cavour, better known as Piazza del Querc, which has always been the center of Bormio's social life. Overlooking the square is the Collegiate Church of Santi Gervasio e Protasio, founded in the 9th century, but completely rebuilt after a fire in the early 17th century. The interior of the church houses several works of art, wooden sculptures from the 16th to 17th centuries, a 17th century organ and choir stalls. And in the center of the square stands Kverch - a medieval building with a portico, in which public hearings were once held and justice was administered. Behind it you can see Torre delle Ore - the Clock Tower. Today, the entire Piazza Cavour is dotted with shops, bars and restaurants. To the right of the Collegiate Church begins Via Morcelli, which leads to the old customs building.
The antique Combo Bridge, which crosses the Frodolfo River, a tributary of the Adda River, leads to the old Combo district, where it is worth visiting the Church of Santissimo Crocifisso, restored in the 19th century and retaining frescoes from the 16th-17th centuries, and the Church of Sassello with frescoes from the 15th century. th century.
At the top of Bormio, accessible via Via della Vittoria, stands the 17th century Palazzo De Simoni with a medieval tower. This building, which now houses the city hall and the library, also houses an interesting museum, which houses about 3 thousand historical exhibits. The museum's collections occupy two floors and are divided into two sections - the art and history section and the ethnography section. The exhibits include works of art from local palaces and churches, such as a fragment of an 11th-century fresco depicting Saint Cecilia, a huge 17th-century altarpiece in gilded wood, and several 19th-century canvases by Francesco Haiza. Also on display are sculptures, engravings, furniture, World War I memorabilia and a collection of historic carriages and sleds.
