To the San Martino Church - Bergamo

• Travelling time: 2 hours and a half
• Difficulty: Family
• Why we love it: because it's a enjoyable path deep in the green
• Length: 13 km
• Total Elevation Gain: 500 m
• Way to travel: By foot
• Cost: 0 €
• Our Advice: The best season to do it is spring, in other seasons it's too tiring. In summer you sweat too much and in winter with the cold and the ice it becomes impractical

I present my itinerary to reach by foot this little church that is located in the upper town, in the city of Bergamo. What is curious is the sweet contrast that emerges between the name of itself and the pathway to reach it: despite what you might think , the church of San Martino della Pigrizia (St. Martin of Laziness) is located after a long road that connects the low city with the highest part of the city. My itinerary is a couple of hours of easy walking long and it starts from the center of Bergamo, exactly from Porta Nuova with the Church talle Grazie (photo no.1) that is placed in the street via Papa Giovanni XXIII, just opposite to the central station: from there, after crossing the street, we cross the traffic light and the center of Bergamo and on our left the Sentierone begins, famous road of the city with its beautiful stores; the path is all right, at the end there's the Piazza Pontida.

Here begins Broseta street, ithat stands out for a couple of kilometers, but we will stop first: the fact we walk for about a kilometer until we find on our left three key points of the district of Loreto: the Church of the Blessed Virgin Maria, and the Italian Red Cross three hundred meters after. Go straight; we find on the left the institute of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca, in Via Broseta n. 136; in front of the the school a long path in woodland began; we are the Regional Park of the Hills of Bergamo, as indicated by the sign placed at the beginning of the route that leads us to the church of San Martino, the destination of our journey.

We cross the road leaving behind the institute, and our path will continue in the woods; the road is paved but the surrounding vegetation is full of flowers and scents of the countryside (photo no. 2); very few steps, and there is a fountain that shows the door of St. Matthew, to the right there's the Bellavista ladder; we continue straight ahead, even when the main road continues slightly downhill.

A a beautiful landscape (photo no. 3) and thick vegetation guide our step, around us there're beautiful villas.

At one point the road forks and we continue right towards the upper town, becaus one left the road continues downhill: our path is received from a first wonderful villa surrounded by wild asparagus, and subsequent villasa on the way; on the left there is a street on the climb but we go right following the main road, we are in Via S. Martino.

Shortly after, on our left there is a small gate surrounded by daisies (photo n. 4); we are almost at destination, and we continue and here in front of us there's church of San Martino (photo no.5).

To return to the lower city, the possibilities are endless: you can go straight to the road traveled so far, leaving the church to your left and you'll find yourself directly in the center of the upper city with the funicular station; or you can walk the narrow path place in front of the church (we find it to our right as you reach the destination). As you can see, the ways to reach the small church of San Martino are endless; you can return by the same route made the first time, this time in reverse.

Author: Francesca Facoetti - prize "Share your Green Adventure"