"Bergamo Bells" Bergamo Local Custom Tip by johngayton

Wherever you are in Bergamo, upper or lower, at 10 pm every night you'll hear bells being rung for about 10 minutes. This is a tradition dating back to Venetian rule when the upper city became walled and the bells were rung to inform those working in the fields that the gates were about to be closed for the night.

The main bell is the one in the Campanone (which simply translates as "Large Bell Tower") and our guide informed us that the total number of rings is 180 (if memory serves me correctly). On feast days and other important occasions the bells from the cathedral and other churches join the Campanone which I reckon would be pretty impressive given that the everyday ringing is remarkable enough.

Here's my video of the peals on our last night in Bergamo - from the courtyard at Il Sole restaurant - Bergamo Bells