Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano

"The church, positioned at the end of the Sentierone where it meets Via Tasso, boasts a neoclassical façade designed by Giovanni Cuminetti in 1897. The two-tiered façade is divided by a moulded string course, with a central entrance framed by a pronaos of two Ionic columns supporting a tympanum. Above the door, a lunette fresco by Luigi Galizzi depicts Mary presenting the Rosary to Saint Dominic alongside Saint Catherine of Siena. Inside, the church features a single nave flanked by five chapels on each side. The elevated presbytery culminates in an apse housing a wooden choir, semi-octagonal in design, which frames Lorenzo Lotto's grand altarpiece. The ceiling, frescoed in 1749 by Venetian artist Mattia Bortoloni and completed after his death by Gaspare Diziani, portrays the Dominican Heaven. This artwork illustrates Saint Dominic's ascent to the Holy Trinity, alongside scenes of the Sacrifice of Isaac and the Glory of the Blessed Sacrament, creating an illusion of height and depth, seamlessly blending with the painted vaults."

"This 17th-century church, dedicated to Saints Bartholomew and Stephen, is renowned for its stunning Baroque architecture and captivating interior, offering visitors a glimpse into Bergamo's artistic and spiritual legacy. Stepping into the Piazza Largo Belotti, visitors are immediately drawn to the Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano's imposing façade, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. Designed by renowned architect Antonio Maria Caneva, the façade showcases a harmonious blend of curves, columns, and statues, creating a visually stunning and dynamic composition. The façade's crowning glory is the upper tier, adorned with statues of the saints to whom the church is dedicated, adding a touch of religious symbolism to the architectural grandeur."