Bergamo Making History The Modern Way as a Major Attraction for Italy

It feels particularly apt that Italy’s World Cup destiny should go through Bergamo when they take on Northern Ireland in their play-off.

Gone are the days when the city in Lombardy was little more than a stop that only a true calcio aficionado would visit en route to Milan or Turin.

Nestled at the foothills of the Alps, Bergamo is renowned for wonderful architecture, its stunning Citta Alta – the upper town – and its rich culinary tradition.

It is here that you will find Caffè Del Tasso, one of Italy’s oldest cafes, having opened its doors in 1476. Citta Alta has medieval feel to it, all steep cobblestone streets and perfectly maintained old buildings housing some tremendous restaurants, such as Il Coccio on Via Borgo Palazzo and Trattoria Sant’ Ambroeus in Piazza Vecchia.

Football was often an afterthought in these parts. But now, that is no longer the case.

Over the past decade, Bergamo has become synonymous with one of Italian football’s best-run clubs, one which has repeatedly punched above its weight at home and in Europe.

In the three seasons before Gian Piero Gasperini arrived in 2016, Atalanta had finished 11th, 17th and 13th in the league. They going nowhere, floating in a sea of mediocrity. 

By the time Gasperini left in 2025, La Dea had finished third in Serie A on four occasions and never lower than eighth, reached three Coppa Italia finals and won the Europa League in 2024.

A club transformed on the pitch, Atalanta have had a facelift off it too, most notably in the shape of a major overhaul to their stadium, which has been completely transformed over the past five years.

Gone are the open curvas that characterised the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia, and today the New Balance Arena is one of Italy’s most modern grounds, its compact shape reminiscent of English stadiums and capable of creating a raucous atmosphere.

“The old stadium was noisy but the noise wasn’t contained like it is in this newer version,” Danny Bird, the man behind the popular @atalantashirts_uk Instagram account and regular visitor to the New Balance Arena, told Destination Calcio.

“It’s like a cauldron, the noise stays in the stadium and you feel it within you when you’re there.”

Italy experienced that atmosphere when they thrashed Estonia in 5-0 in September in their first visit following the stadium redevelopment.

That made Bergamo the 10th city to host the national team since they lost to North Macedonia in Palermo in their last World Cup play-off ahead of Qatar 2022. Over the past four years they have checked in at Bologna, Cesena, Milan, Naples, Bari, Rome, Empoli, Udine and Reggio Emilia.

Back in November, La Repubblica reported that the FIGC – the Italian FA – was so impressed with the atmosphere that they opted to pick Bergamo over the San Siro, the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples “because of the atmosphere and surroundings.”

Travelling Northern Ireland fans will be able to get a taste of that, with bars and pubs around the ground such as Villa Sport Cafe, Queen’s Bar and Il Baretto, normally open only to home fans ahead of Atalanta games, welcoming away supporters too.

FICG officials will hope Bergamo can inspire Gennaro Gattuso’s team to reach the play-off final, a few days later in Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since lifting the trophy in Berlin 20 years ago, the Azzurri have played just six World Cup matches, crashing out in the group stage in 2010 and again four years later, before missing out altogether in 2018 and 2022.

It has been a drastic fall and one made harder to understand given they were crowned European champions in 2021.

Meanwhile, Atalanta went about establishing themselves in the upper echelons of Serie A, drawing even more of a spotlight on Bergamo – a city that has shed its hidden-gem label. It is a highly-sought destination for tourists, and the transformation was helped in no small part by the city’s designation as European Capital of Culture in 2023.

In 2025 Bergamo’s airport welcomed a record 16m visitors, as international tourists continued to outnumber domestic visitors with a 12% increase in arrivals in the Citta Alta.

Bergamo may now be internationally on the football map, but Atalanta was always at the core of the city’s identity. This, after all, is a place where every kid is gifted an Atalanta kit when they are born. Watching La Dea is a ritual that extends way beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.

“You don’t simply go to the stadium on match days,” Bird tells Destination Calcio. “You go to Atalanta, it’s seen as a social gathering instead of something that happens each week. It’s family and that’s what makes it so special, you’re watching a team that the fans will follow no matter what.”

But for a few days in March, Atalanta will take a back seat as the national team arrives in Bergamo. A city with a rich history and stunning views, the Azzurri will be hoping it is the ideal setting to keep their World Cup hopes alive.