An autumn escape to Italy’s twin capitals of culture

For centuries an inevitable rivalry existed between the cities of Bergamo and Brescia, its most obvious contemporary manifestation existing in the antipathy between the football teams Brescia Calcio and Atalanta, of Bergamo. But the pandemic of 2020 changed this, and the cities joined forces to fight Covid in a part of the country where infection rates and casualties were at their highest. The partnership resulted in a jointly successful bid for the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2023.

Bergamo
Autumn is generally golden in the city of Bergamo. With a long history as a place of militarily strategic importance, the city straddles the low plains of the Po Valley to the south and the foothills of the Alps (known as Orobie) to the north. It's a proud, beautiful city, the old part (Citta Alta) perched atop one of the many drumlins (glacial debris left behind as the ice sheets departed), giving those burghers and defenders uninterrupted panoramic views. On clearer days the smog and high-rises of Millan are easily visible, 50km to the southwest.

Bergamo was home to the operatic composer Gaetano Donizetti, who is still revered here and celebrated in the name of the opera house. The Citta Alta houses the city's university and botanic gardens, as well as the impressive 12th-century former town hall, the Palazzo della Ragione on the Piazza Vecchia. Be sure to stop for an espresso on the piazza at the atmospheric Caffe del Tasso, which dates from 1476.

The beautiful limestone, sandstone and marble from which the city is fashioned is enduring and solid, with clean edges beautifully shaped by generations of Bergamaschi masons.

The impressive Accademia Carrara (£13; lacarrara.it) is an art gallery that deserves an international reputation, as does its municipally funded neighbour GAMeC (£5.20; gamec.it). The former has an impressive collection dating from the early Renaissance, while GAMeC shows impeccably curated contemporary art in a former monastery.

There are discoveries at every twist and turn in the medieval streets of the old city, but in the newer neoclassical area, near the Teatro Donizetti, turn into Passeggiata San Bartolomeo, one of the many open courtyards paved in a typical ciottolato style, using river stones. Here, in this quiet court, which houses shops and small businesses, you will find a monumental bronze piece by the local sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, Giroscopio is a kinetic masterpiece that demonstrates the refinement of Pomodoros capabilities in bronze casting and engineering.

If you are looking for an easily manageable day trip out of Bergamo, consider visiting the elegant spa town of San Pellegrino, about 40 minutes by bus from the city centre. Here you will find the River Brembo cutting through a steep valley with tree-lined walkways and cool, shaded porticoes with cafes and eateries. For no-nonsense typical Bergamasco fare try the family-run and oriented Taverna Della Taragna (mains about £17, Viale Papa Giovanni XXII), which takes its name from the maize-based polenta dish long favoured as a staple in the region. For a more luxurious dining and relaxation experience try an afternoon session at the lavishly restored Pellegrino Spa (from £38.50; gcterme.com).

As I left the city, fervently hoping it would not be for the last time, I recalled the sonorous, mellifluous words of the poem Bergamo by Lionello Grifo and realised that I could think of no better coda to my all too brief sojourn. "Prayer of stones/ which rises from the plain towards Heaven/ surrounding sources/ flower gardens and balconies!"

Brescia
Brescia lies 50km southeast of Bergamo and is its wealthier and more industrial cousin. Like Bergamo, Brescia has a wealth of cultural assets, including some of the best-preserved Roman remains in northern Italy.

The Brixia Roman archaeological area and the San Salvatore and Santa Giulia complex is a Unesco world heritage site (£13; bresciamusei.com). You can walk on the layered stones and mosaics of history, somehow feeling the presence of all those who have walked before you for millennia. Here, the artist Fabrizio Plessi has managed to capture this depth of time and continuous human presence in a series of artworks, including Capita Aurea, a digitally created head, seemingly fashioned from liquid gold, juxtaposed with a male Roman head of sculpted marble. The extraordinary Plessi sposa Brixia is an enormous golden ring several metres in diameter, suspended inside the Basilica di San Salvatore.

Brescia also has a wide variety of museums and art galleries, including the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, housed in the Palazzo Martinengo da Barco (from £5.20; bresciamusei.com). The collection begins in the 14th century and contains exquisite masterpieces of the northern Italian Renaissance.

Brescia's hinterland between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda is rich in vineyards and gastronomie delights. The small town of Iseo is famed for its local market and lakeside setting, with views to the mountains beyond. On Lake Iseo's northwestern shore is the town of Lovere, nestled between lush, forested hills and shining waters.

Nearby is the remarkable four-star Relais Franciacorta hotel (B&B double from £78; relaisfiranciacorta.it), an impeccably restored former winery and agricultural complex set amid vineyards and woodland.