Cologno al Serio – Italy

The act of Partnership was signed: 28.05.2010 r.

Cologno al Serio is a city located by the River Serio, near Bergamo, in the region of Lombardia in Italy. It is one of the oldest Italian towns. One can find there some of the oldest archaeological sites in the entire province of Bergamo: the first human settlements located there come from the Bronze Age (from four thousand years ago).

Until today, Cologno al Serio has preserved its medieval urban layout intact. The old town is surrounded by defending walls and a moat which were used for the protection of the city. The only way to get to the city was through four well preserved gates. Porta Rocca, the most splendid gate, houses offices of the Town Hall.

While visiting Cologno one should not miss the Littegio Castle from the 15th century, that was built by Visconti. The walls and architectural details visible today show that the building had been heavily fortified in the past.

In the center of the old town there is a parish church dedicated to Our Lady. It was built in 1745 according to the design of the architect Gian Battista Canian and it fully replaced the old church. It is worth noting the baroque façade, as well as stone and marble decorations. There is an old belfry next to it, which differs greatly from the existing church in its architectural form, as it is much older than the church.

We met the representatives of the local government of Cologno al Serio in Lithuania, in Ukmerge, during the local City Day. They were the members of the Cooperation Committee, who work at the Cologno City Hall. The formal beginning of our cooperation was signing a letter of intent in 2009 and executing a partnership agreement in 2010.

Delegations from Cologno participate in international conferences organized as part of the Days of Tarnowo Podgórne Commune. For example, in 2013, the Italian delegation presented to us how their self-government benefits from being a member of the European Union. One year later, we listened with an interest to a conference in which Agnieszka Kozłowska- Rajewicz, a member of the European Parliament, talked about the local profamily policy (as a large group of immigrants and refugees live and work in Cologno).

In 2016, on our way to the European Orchestra Festival in Rosate, our delegates met with the mayor of Cologno – Chiara Drago. The main topic was our cooperation with foreign investors, differences in systems and the scope of self-government competences and initiatives for the activation and integration of citizens.

Cologno’s unique medieval character is not the only reason to visit it. It is also a great place to visit for those travellers who are on their way to the nearby Bergamo and Milan.