Clusone – Art, History and Trails through ValSeriana

Art, Clocks and Sacred History

Clusone combines art, architecture and historical heritage with trails through forests and uplands. At the MAT, a 17th-century frescoed palace houses an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and reliefs by artists from Clusone and other places. Also at the MAT, you can see rare examples of tower clock mechanisms from different periods from the Collezione Gorla, entrusted to the Province of Bergamo and assigned to Clusone.

Particularly distinctive is the Fanzago astronomical clock: Pietro Fanzago’s masterpiece from 1583 uses a single hand to indicate the hour, month, day, zodiac sign and phases of the moon. The clock is completely preserved and is one of the few clocks of its time that still functions with its original parts. This gives Clusone’s cultural history a technical dimension that differs from its paintings and sacred artworks.

The Oratorio dei Disciplini stands beside the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta and was built around the middle of the 14th century by the Brotherhood of the Disciplini. Inside is a cycle of frescoes from 1485, created by the painter Giacomo Borlone de Buschis, who came from Clusone. The exterior façade features the frescoes “Danza Macabra” and “Trionfo della morte”; one of these frescoes is among the best preserved in Europe. The Museo della Basilica preserves 15th-century wooden panels, historic paintings, votive offerings, reliquaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as liturgical vestments and paraments. It comprises three oratories and eight rooms dedicated to preserving Clusone’s religious art collection.

Palaces and Churches as Historical Traces

Other buildings complete this picture. The Sala Legrenzi in Palazzo Marinoni Barca is an exhibition space where art exhibitions and cultural events take place. The Chiesetta della Santissima Trinità was built between 1590 and 1595 on the summit of the “Crosio” hill. The Chiesa del Paradiso was created in the 16th century as an extension of a 15th-century monastery and houses paintings by the artists Domenico Carpinoni, Antonio Cifrondi, Giovan Battista Brighenti and Giovanni Trussardi Volpi, who came from Clusone.

The Palazzo Fogaccia dates from the late 17th to the early 18th century. Its interiors and corridors feature elaborate frescoes and neoclassical paintings. The façade of the Palazzo Comunale is decorated with votive frescoes and noble coats of arms belonging to Venetian families. It recalls Clusone’s and its territory’s political and economic affiliation with the Republic of Venice from the 15th to the 19th century. The Chiesa di San Defendente e Rocco is said to incorporate an oratory that already existed around 900 AD; the period from 1470 to 1477 is associated with the expansion of this older oratory.

Trails, Cycling and Winter Sports

Beyond the cultural sites, Clusone also offers various forms of outdoor activity. The Pineta di Clusone has more than 22 kilometres of walking paths. There is also a ski roller circuit and the ValSeriana cycling and walking path. The easy woodland walk Sentiero delle Ore begins near San Lucio and is between 500 metres and 1.5 kilometres long, depending on the starting point. The easy Family Tour is designed for families: this cycling route explores the Clusone upland and its natural and artistic features.

Parco Milesi is a public green space equipped for recreation and leisure, with areas for children and walking paths.

In winter, the “La Spessa” cross-country ski trail adds to the range of activities. It is 1,800 metres long and has loops and gradients suitable for every technical level. Those planning to go climbing will find routes on inclined and vertical slabs at Falesia Seraia. The climbing wall has been newly equipped with resin-bonded bolts and faces due south in its entirety.

Getting There and Finding Your Way Around

If travelling from Milan, take the Bergamo/Orio al Serio exit on the A4 motorway, then continue via SS470/Gorle, SP35 Nembro/Valseriana and finally along the SS671 towards Clusone. The Infopoint Visit Clusone provides tourist information and informational material about Clusone, ValSeriana and Val di Scalve. This makes it possible to combine cultural highlights and outdoor activities during the planning stage.

More Destinations

Palosco, Colere, Bergamo, Treviolo, Roncobello, Mapello, Costa Valle Imagna, Grignano

To the higher-level travel overview: Bergamo.