Palazzo Terzi

Palazzo Terzi occupies a very special role in the history of its city and represents the best example of Baroque architecture in Bergamo.

Nobel Prize-winning author Hermann Hesse visited Bergamo during his trip to Italy in 1913. He described Piazza Terzi as “one of the most beautiful corners of Italy”, with the “hidden treasures and alluring charms that make the country so well worth visiting”. While exploring the piazza, Hesse caught a glimpse of the open doorway of a palazzo in front of a beautiful statue. The courtyard within was framed by a high vault and featured lush plants and a lantern. Beyond the courtyard, he observed two more tall statues and an elegant balustrade. As he wrote, “The dreamy atmosphere created by the narrow angle between the walls evoked a sense of vastness and of infinite distance above the plain of the Po.”

The famous writer effectively captured the enduring image that continues to impress the many visitors and guests of Palazzo Terzi, a sense of wonder inviting them to pause and savour this timeless, evocative view, which has remained unaltered over the years.

A haven where time appears to have stood still
Situated on the western spur of Bergamo’s rolling hills, Palazzo Terzi dominates the small square bearing the same name, next to the imposing Classical High School building and directly behind Piazza Vecchia, which lies in the heart of the city’s historic centre.

The Palazzo is the product of an architectural evolution spanning approximately a century and a half (from around 1630 to 1770). Its seamless integration with the surrounding environment and the exceptional quality of its interior decoration, which showcases Baroque influences with an 18th-century evolution, represent a cohesive and significant historical-artistic milestone. The building’s construction began in the 15th century on the slope rising from Porta San Giacomo up to Piazza Rosate and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, at the time of the Terzi family settling down in Bergamo. In the late 16th century, Vincenzo Terzi, capitalising on his successful ventures as an entrepreneur and financier, initiated the construction of the Palazzo. He incorporated the existing structures and subsequently expanded the residence with incremental acquisitions, as is evidenced by the numerous documents preserved in the family archives, now housed in the Angelo Mai Civic Library.

The history of Palazzo Terzi’s development is intricately connected to two key family marriages. Luigi Terzi, Vincenzo’s son, married Paola Roncalli in 1631 and embarked upon a renovation project that included the purchase of several properties in the San Cassiano district. This resulted in the creation of the façade and the building’s distinctive “U” shape, opening towards the plain opposite. The interior decoration of the rooms began after 1642.

In 1747, the marriage between Antonio Terzi and Giulia Alessandri marked the start of another series of major renovations to the façade and the north wing, culminating in 1770 with the Palazzo’s current appearance.

Giulia’s brother, architect Filippo Alessandri, took over the project in 1754 and made subtle adjustments according to a project by Giovan Battista Caniana, who had passed away four years earlier and who had already designed the exquisite wooden floors and the ‘gallery of mirrors’, a truly unique feature among Bergamo’s aristocratic palazzos.

Given that there were no further interventions over the following centuries aimed at altering the style of the era, Palazzo Terzi has remained unchanged despite the passing of the years. Visitors are welcomed in the Reception Hall, dominated by a monumental fireplace, with its curious scenic setting of 17th-century frescoes by Barbelli and works by Storer. The sobriety of the interior furnishings completes the enchantment. These artists, along with Tencalla and Capella, and stuccowork decorators such as Camuzio, to name but a few, were entrusted by the Terzi family with the decoration of the rooms of their stately residence, including the Dining Room, the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, the Red Room, and the elegant Soprarizzo Room.