The villa that now houses the “B. Belotti” Library was built in 1906 by architect Giovanni Barboglio for notary Ulisse Cacciamali. In 1913 it was purchased by Bortolo Belotti, who transformed it into a stately residence and enriched its large garden, destined to become his intellectual refuge during his political career and, later, after his marginalization due to his opposition to fascism.
The garden was enriched in three phases (1928-29, 1931-33, 1937-40) with symbolic works of art: the Convito dei Grandi Brembani, eleven busts sculpted by Nino Galizzi, dedicated to the illustrious figures of the Brembana Valley, stands out. This is followed by the aedicule of the Madonna, heraldic lions, and the Gioppino, symbols of faith, cultural roots, and Bergamascan character as opposed to the fascist model. In the last phase Belotti added the statue of Faith, the epigraph Hyeme et aestate, and the tassesque plaque, probably designed by himself.
The garden ensemble represents his moral testament, a tribute to Brembian history and a message of consistency and freedom addressed to posterity.
