Things to do · Brescia
Brescia, the Leonessa d'Italia
A city of art that few people really know, half an hour from the farmhouse.
Not to be missed
What to see in Brescia
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Piazza della Loggia
The city's drawing room, built under Venetian rule. On one side the white Palazzo della Loggia, with its hull-shaped roof; opposite, the Torre dell'Orologio with its two «màcc de le ure», the figures that strike the hours on the bell. Under the arcades, the cafés. A memorial stone remembers the victims of the bombing of 28 May 1974.
Piazza della Loggia
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Piazza Paolo VI and the two cathedrals
One square, two cathedrals: the Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral), the Romanesque stone Rotonda, one of the rare examples of a circular church from that period; and beside it the Baroque Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral), with one of the tallest domes in Italy. On the same square stands the medieval Broletto, with its tower.
Piazza Paolo VI
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Brixia, the Archaeological Park
The Capitolium, the temple Vespasian had built in AD 73, the Roman theatre and the remains of the forum: this is the heart of Roman Brescia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. The Capitolium houses the Vittoria Alata (Winged Victory), the great Roman bronze found in 1826 and the symbol of the city.
Via dei Musei
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The Santa Giulia Museum
A monastery founded in 753 by the Lombard king Desiderius, now the city museum. Inside are the Roman houses of the Ortaglia with their mosaics, the Lombard basilica of San Salvatore, the nuns' frescoed choir and the gem-studded Cross of Desiderius. Santa Giulia is also part of the UNESCO site.
Via dei Musei
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The Castle on Colle Cidneo
One of the largest castles in Italy, on the hill overlooking the city, with bastions, a keep and two museums: the Arms Museum and the Risorgimento Museum. Even just for the walk and the view over the rooftops, it is worth the climb. On its slopes is one of the largest urban vineyards in Europe.
Colle Cidneo
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The Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo
The city art gallery holds works from the 13th to the 19th century: Brescian Renaissance painting with Moretto, Romanino and Savoldo, and masterpieces such as Raphael's two early panels.
Piazza Moretto
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The churches of the centre
Three not to skip: Santa Maria dei Miracoli, with its Renaissance façade carved in Botticino marble; Santi Nazaro e Celso, home to Titian's Averoldi Polyptych; and Sant'Agata, with its Baroque frescoes.
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Underground Brescia
Beneath the city flow rivers and covered canals, and under the castle run tunnels and cisterns. Some local associations organise guided tours: a different way of seeing Brescia.
At the table
What to taste in Brescia
Start with a Pirlo, the Brescian aperitif of white wine, bitter and soda water. Then casoncelli with butter and sage, malfatti made with bread and spinach, manzo all'olio with polenta and the traditional spiedo. For dessert, bussolà, a leavened ring cake, and the biscotto bresciano. To drink, you are spoilt for choice: Franciacorta, Botticino, Lugana and the wines of Lake Garda.