Poncarale is named after its own bridge: the name comes from the Latin pons caralis, the cart bridge that linked the castle, the Rocca, with the village outside the walls. The Rocca is gone today, but its fifteenth-century bell tower ended up inside the church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, built on the ruins of the fortress and finished in 1717. The village lies at the foot of the Monte Netto, a terrace that rises alone in the middle of the plain.
That hill was long an open question. More than three hundred hectares belonged to a family from Bagnolo, and in 1452 the comune claimed part of it back, which was then divided among shepherds and labourers for pasture and firewood. In the nineteenth century the great landowners drained it, clearing away almost all the woodland to make room for vines. In 1912 the mayor Emanuele Bertazzoli distributed about two hundred piò of the Monte Netto, which were public property, in small plots to the heads of household of the village.
Risotto alla Milanese
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Next up: Saints Gervase and Protase, patrons of the Palio delle Contrade, Saturday 19 June
Nearest airport: Bergamo Orio al Serio, 44 km away
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📅 Every year, on 19 June; late August brings the Sagra di San Bernardo
Poncarale celebrates Saints Gervase and Protase on 19 June. In the second half of August, the Sagra di San Bernardo is held, and since 2025 the town has also hosted the Palio delle Contrade.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Poncarale, but an easy day trip away.
