Brembate di Sopra is a small and picturesque town 7km or 4 miles north-west of the city of Bergamo in Northern Italy. About an hours drive from Milan. The province of Lombardy covers the cities of Milan and Bergamo including the small town of Brembate di Sopra. With it’s close proximity to Lake Como and the Swiss and Austrian borders, it is a popular stopover for tourists. The area is dotted with ancient villas and palazzos.

It is a humble town, not modernised to the extent of nearby Milan. Many homes still use wood burning stoves, raise chickens and grow their own vegetables. Postcards of the snow capped the Bergamo Alps sit in shop displays, and the views from the small town are a reminder that things don’t change at a fast pace in rural Italy.

The town has a traditional historical centre, classic church steeples and winding paths and gardens. It still feels like an old town with old traditions and values. Every year the small town hosts a street parade where townsfolk and others from the area come together to dress in Harlequin fancy dress and make traditional wooden floats to parade the streets. Like many old parts of the country, family values are deeply rooted, and people are fiercely loyal.

With around 8,000 residents, Brembate di Sopra is a quiet, close-knit rural community, a safe environment for a young family. A place where a 13-year-old girl walking to a nearby sports centre, alone in the late afternoon, was not given a second thought.