Bergamo, Italy, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy since 2019, is staying creative in the face of COVID-19.
In line with the confinement measures, Bergamo’s museums and cultural institutions have launched various online initiatives. These allow inhabitants to continue experiencing the vibrant cultural life of the city, through a wide range of resources, such as virtual tours, videos and podcasts. Thanks to these creative actions, visitors have the chance to explore various art collections and enjoy specific events and activities.
Among these initiatives, the Museo delle Storie di Bergamo (History Museum) has been sharing fascinating images of Bergamo from the photographic historical archive, through its social media accounts and official website.
In addition, GAMeC – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (Contemporary Art Gallery) has launched Radio GAMeC, a new platform for live streaming on social media with radio broadcasts. With the aim to spread a message of serenity and hope, this cultural project invites people to share stories of Bergamo, one of the hardest-hit cities by the coronavirus pandemic. The Gallery’s social media account and webpage further provide various cultural and creative activities for children and families.
The Accademia Carrara (Art Gallery) further supports the ongoing initiative by providing digital access to the masterpieces from its permanent collection, which includes works by great Italian masters such as Mantegna, Botticelli, Bellini, Tiziano and Raffaello. Virtual tours are also offered for visitors to discover insightful highlights and details of the various works of art. The Gallery’s social media accounts further enhance the digital experience for guests by uploading special talks focusing on some iconic art pieces.
Famous not only for its cultural spaces, institutions and museums, Bergamo is known for gastronomy, a sector also hard hit by COVID-19. Located at the crossroads of the Cheese Valleys in Italy, Bergamo honors the refined traditional cheese-making process that has made the region renowned for its awarding-winning cheese and its thriving culinary sector.
Aside from supporting its own traditional food sector, Bergamo understands and endorses the need for a more sustainable gastronomic industry. As far as possible, the city is trying to continue its policies to combat food waste, and its long-term goal for sustainable, fair and resilient systems, both for the producer and the consumer. In 2017, the City of Bergamo hosted the G7 Agriculture Summit on the 'Future of Nutrition and Agricultural Development' and organized the ‘Agriculture Week and Right to Food’. These collaborative events reflect the vital roles agriculture and national environmental polices play in providing nutritional food to everyone. In recent years Bergamo put in place gastronomy related policies and programmes in support of farmers and the local gastronomic sector. It strives to continue their implementation in these exceptional times, and especially in planning for post-COVID-19.
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