Photos: Steffen Schmitz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Steffen Schmitz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Torre Civica and the nightly curfew bell
Your local guide
Luca Colombo
View profile
Highlights
- A bell rung the same way for centuries
- A hundred strokes, exactly at ten
- An old curfew, still marked nightly
- Medieval Bergamo, heard rather than seen
- One tower, one precise moment
About this tour
This session covers the Torre Civica and its nightly curfew bell, timed for the hour it rings. You see the medieval tower up close and hear about the Campanone's centuries-old signal, then stand in the square as the bell strikes a hundred times at ten. It is a short, unusual session built around a single, exact moment each evening.
We start with a sound check by the tower well before ten, since timing matters for this one. I stay in the square for the bell itself and take your questions about the tradition as we go. A short reading note on the curfew's history follows by message afterwards.
It suits anyone who wants to hear a genuine piece of medieval Bergamo rather than just see one. It also works well as a late addition after an evening session nearby.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Bergamo before heading out.
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Torre Civica exterior 15 min
The camera takes in the medieval bell tower, and I explain how its bell, the Campanone, has rung out an old curfew signal at ten each night for centuries.
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Piazza Vecchia at curfew 15 min
We wait in the square as the bell strikes a hundred times, and I describe what the sound would once have meant for anyone still out in the streets.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Bergamo: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Torta Donizetti and Città Alta, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Bergamo, showing you Torre Civica exterior and Piazza Vecchia at curfew live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Bergamo live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Sun 25 Oct · 9 seats left From 19,00 €
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