Brescia

Brescia is a rich industrial city in Lombardy between Lake Garda, Lake Iseo and the in the foothills of the Alps, about 100 km east of Milan, and the capital of the province of Brescia.

While the province is rich in scenic and popular tourist destinations, including the shore of the Lake Garda, Brescia itself is less known for tourists. One may that due to its heavily industrialized cityscape it can be found not as interesting compared to other major cities of Lombardy.

Yes, Brescia is famous for its industrial past and for its role as a major manufacturing centre: numerous factories produce weapons (including the famous Beretta pistols) and cutlery/kitchen accessories. This industry has brought the city tremendous wealth and prestige since the 1960s, to the point that an entire second city—the imaginatively named Brescia 2--has sprung up on the south side of the city's original boundaries.

Also, vintage car aficionados flock to Brescia to witness the start and final of the Mille Miglia race, and wine lovers appreciate the local fine Franciacorta wines.

Brescia, however, also has another face, having been founded over three millenniums ago in the times of the Roman Empire, of which several remains can be found, and it remained an important city throughout the early Middle Ages, with the local monastic complex earning a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list (see Longobards in Italy, Places of Power (568–774 A.D.)).

• IAT, Piazza del Foro, 6 (Palazzo Martinengo, +39 0303749916. Daily 10:00 - 18:00.

IAT, Piazza del Foro, 6 (Palazzo Martinengo, +39 0303749916. Daily 10:00 - 18:00.

Brescia is home to several great museums. However, since it is not a primary tourist city, very few English translations are provided, and even if they are, translations are often so poor that you may prefer to try the Italian explanations.

• Monasterio di Santa Giulia, Via dei Musei, 81/b. 16 Jun - Sep: Tu-Su 10:30-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30 (last admission 30 min before closure). A UNESCO World Heritage Site. A former monastery of Santa Giulia (it includes the earlier monastery of San Salvatore) now is a massive museum with a collection of art and archeology dating back more than 10,000 years and exploring the region's history from pre-history to Roman occupation to the Lombard settlement, etc. The museums also contain foundational remnants from various periods of Brescian houses with well preserved beautiful mosaic floors. The permanent collection of religious art is one of the best in northern Italy. Be sure not to miss the Vittoria alata di Brescia (Winged Victory of Brescia) — a true gem of the museum. It's a Greek statue of 3rd century BC, modified in the 1st century with adding the wings — a must see by your own eyes. Also not to be missed a collection of Ritratti romani bronzei di Brescia — a collection of six gilded bronze busts found in 1826 at the Capitolium of ancient Brixia. €10; see Tempio Capitolino (Brixia) for combined tickets.

  * Chiesa di Santa Maria in Solario. Not to be missed for its magnificent frescos. Also there you'd find the Croce di Desiderio (Desiderius’ Cross) a 9th-century wooden processional cross covered with golden foil and adorned with 212 gemstones (50 of them are of antique origin) — the biggest and finest artifact of Lombard goldsmith of the period.

  

• Tempio Capitolino, Via dei Musei, 57. 16 Jun - Sep: Tu-Su 10:30-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30 (last admission 30 min. before closure). Said to be one of the best-preserved Roman public complexes in Italy (still it's not like in Pompeii), complete with a forum, amphitheatre and capitolium (Roman temple). Old Roman ruins, the last remains of what once was the city's forum during the Roman Empire, built by the emperor Vespasian. € 8; + Museo di Santa Giulia €15; + Museo di Santa Giulia + Museo delle Armi Luigi Marzoli €20.
• Piazza del Foro. Located at the place of the Roman Forum.
• Castello di Brescia, Via Castello, 9, +39 030 2977833-834. Museum: 16 Jun - Sep: F-Su 11:00-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Th-F 09:00-16:00, Sa-Su 10:00-17:00 (last admission 30 min before closure). Dating to pre-Roman times and last fortified by the Venetian overlords of the 16th century, the city's stronghold houses museums of armory and of the Risorgimento (Italy's first struggles for independence and unification), and provides eccelent views of the Valtrompia, the alps, and the city itself. €4; + Museo di Santa Giulia + Brixia. Parco archeologico di Brescia romana €20.
• Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Vicolo San Giuseppe, 5. 16th-century church, inside, there is one of the oldest organs in the world.
• Broletto, Piazza Paolo VI. 12th-century Town Hall
• Duomo Vecchio. The unique pre-renaissance church has a massive stone dome and 12th century crucifixes.

• Duomo Nuovo. The city cathedral, built 150 years ago, with the third largest dome in Italy. The local hero is Pope Paul VI (1963–1978), a native Brescian.
• Palazzo della Loggia. The city hall and center of regional government, this large and oddly shaped building presides over the city's central square, where you'll often see political demonstrations, concerts, and markets. You can enter the building and look around in the main halls, enjoying the architecture and decor, but it remains primarily functional. The Loggia (lodge) also marks the northern end of the city's retail shopping district.
• Case del Gambero, Corso Palestro. a number of buildings constructed in the mid 16th century probably by Lodovico Beretta between 1550 and 1555. The façades are decorated by a vast cycle of frescoes painted by Lattanzio Gambara, partly lost, partly moved to the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, but still partly on site, albeit mostly severely degraded. The name "Gambero" is after the hotel Gambero, which was located in the vicinity, south of Corso Zanardelli.
• Corsia del Gambero. A nice portico passage built in the 15th century near one of the oldest hotels in Brescia — Locanda del Gambero (now private apartments).
• Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista. It is one of the oldest churches in Brescia: it was consecrated in the early 5th century.
• Torre della Pallata. 32-metre-high 13th-century tower.
• Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco, Via dei Musei, 30, +39 339 838 4933. M-F 9.00-13.00. A mid-17th-century palace that houses the offices of the province and occasional exhibitions .
• Santa Maria dei Miracoli. A Renaissance church with bas-reliefs façade and peristilium. It is considered as one of the finest examples of architecture of this style in Lombardy.
• Santi Nazaro e Celso. The church contains the Averoldi Polyptych(1522), a masterwork of Titian.
• Piazza della Vittoria. It is a characteristic example of architecture 1930s, designed by Marcello Piacentini, one of the architects of the EUR district in Rome.
• Casa Ottelli, Corso Palestro (at the crossing with corso Martiri della Libertà. Built in 1932, at the facade there are two bas-reliefs by Angelo Righetti, the sculptor who was quite famous at the time after he created the sculptures for the Piazza della Vittoria.
• Piazza Tebaldo Brusato. Named after a Guelph hero of the defense of Brescia. It was established in 1173 as the first municipal square in the town.
• Mercato dei Grani. A building with a notable sequence of porticos.

Monasterio di Santa Giulia, Via dei Musei, 81/b. 16 Jun - Sep: Tu-Su 10:30-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30 (last admission 30 min before closure). A [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. A former monastery of Santa Giulia (it includes the earlier monastery of San Salvatore) now is a massive museum with a collection of art and archeology dating back more than 10,000 years and exploring the region's history from pre-history to Roman occupation to the Lombard settlement, etc. The museums also contain foundational remnants from various periods of Brescian houses with well preserved beautiful mosaic floors. The permanent collection of religious art is one of the best in northern Italy. Be sure not to miss the Vittoria alata di Brescia (Winged Victory of Brescia) — a true gem of the museum. It's a Greek statue of 3rd century BC, modified in the 1st century with adding the wings — a must see by your own eyes. Also not to be missed a collection of Ritratti romani bronzei di Brescia — a collection of six gilded bronze busts found in 1826 at the Capitolium of ancient Brixia. €10; see Tempio Capitolino (Brixia) for combined tickets.

* Chiesa di Santa Maria in Solario. Not to be missed for its magnificent frescos. Also there you'd find the Croce di Desiderio (Desiderius’ Cross) a 9th-century wooden processional cross covered with golden foil and adorned with 212 gemstones (50 of them are of antique origin) — the biggest and finest artifact of Lombard goldsmith of the period.

Tempio Capitolino, Via dei Musei, 57. 16 Jun - Sep: Tu-Su 10:30-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30 (last admission 30 min. before closure). Said to be one of the best-preserved Roman public complexes in Italy (still it's not like in [[Pompeii]]), complete with a forum, amphitheatre and capitolium (Roman temple). Old Roman ruins, the last remains of what once was the city's forum during the [[Roman Empire]], built by the emperor Vespasian. € 8; + Museo di Santa Giulia €15; + Museo di Santa Giulia + Museo delle Armi Luigi Marzoli €20.

Piazza del Foro. Located at the place of the Roman Forum.

Castello di Brescia, Via Castello, 9, +39 030 2977833-834. Museum: 16 Jun - Sep: F-Su 11:00-19:00; Oct - 15 Jun: Th-F 09:00-16:00, Sa-Su 10:00-17:00 (last admission 30 min before closure). Dating to pre-Roman times and last fortified by the Venetian overlords of the 16th century, the city's stronghold houses museums of armory and of the Risorgimento (Italy's first struggles for independence and unification), and provides eccelent views of the Valtrompia, the alps, and the city itself. €4; + Museo di Santa Giulia + Brixia. Parco archeologico di Brescia romana €20.

Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Vicolo San Giuseppe, 5. 16th-century church, inside, there is one of the oldest organs in the world.

Broletto, Piazza Paolo VI. 12th-century Town Hall

Duomo Vecchio. The unique pre-renaissance church has a massive stone dome and 12th century crucifixes.

Duomo Nuovo. The city cathedral, built 150 years ago, with the third largest dome in Italy. The local hero is Pope Paul VI (1963–1978), a native Brescian.

Palazzo della Loggia. The city hall and center of regional government, this large and oddly shaped building presides over the city's central square, where you'll often see political demonstrations, concerts, and markets. You can enter the building and look around in the main halls, enjoying the architecture and decor, but it remains primarily functional. The Loggia (lodge) also marks the northern end of the city's retail shopping district.

Case del Gambero, Corso Palestro. a number of buildings constructed in the mid 16th century probably by Lodovico Beretta between 1550 and 1555. The façades are decorated by a vast cycle of frescoes painted by Lattanzio Gambara, partly lost, partly moved to the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, but still partly on site, albeit mostly severely degraded. The name "Gambero" is after the hotel Gambero, which was located in the vicinity, south of Corso Zanardelli.

Corsia del Gambero. A nice portico passage built in the 15th century near one of the oldest hotels in Brescia — Locanda del Gambero (now private apartments).

Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista. It is one of the oldest churches in Brescia: it was consecrated in the early 5th century.

Torre della Pallata. 32-metre-high 13th-century tower.

Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco, Via dei Musei, 30, +39 339 838 4933. M-F 9.00-13.00. A mid-17th-century palace that houses the offices of the province and occasional exhibitions .

Santa Maria dei Miracoli. A Renaissance church with bas-reliefs façade and peristilium. It is considered as one of the finest examples of architecture of this style in Lombardy.

Santi Nazaro e Celso. The church contains the Averoldi Polyptych(1522), a masterwork of Titian.

Piazza della Vittoria. It is a characteristic example of architecture 1930s, designed by Marcello Piacentini, one of the architects of the [[Rome/EUR|EUR]] district in Rome.

Casa Ottelli, Corso Palestro (at the crossing with corso Martiri della Libertà. Built in 1932, at the facade there are two bas-reliefs by Angelo Righetti, the sculptor who was quite famous at the time after he created the sculptures for the Piazza della Vittoria.

Piazza Tebaldo Brusato. Named after a Guelph hero of the defense of Brescia. It was established in 1173 as the first municipal square in the town.

Mercato dei Grani. A building with a notable sequence of porticos.

The city's medieval historical center, with shopping districts, open markets (try Via San Faustino and Piazza della Loggia on Saturdays), gelaterias, etc., is a good example of city life untrammeled by tourism.

• Teatro Grande. Since 1912, the theatre is a national monument of Italy.
• Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Piazza Moretto. the building is closed for renovations.

Travelers might find interesting that, due to the city's industry, Brescia is however a major immigrant center. The Via San Faustino neighborhood, with its cheap housing for both immigrants and university students, is an example of cultural integration that you won't find anywhere else in Italy.

• Museo Mille Miglia. Until the auto industry made its dirty, cliff-side roads, hairpin turns, and spectator presence far too dangerous, the, which starts in Brescia, was one of the world's top automobile races. Since it was discontinued as a real race 40 years ago (following numerous driver and spectator deaths), it has continued as a museum of automobile history. The actual race, now a parade of refurbished and custom designed cars that slowly winds its way through 1000 miles of northern Italy, starts in May of each year.

Teatro Grande. Since 1912, the theatre is a national monument of Italy.

Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Piazza Moretto. the building is closed for renovations.

Museo Mille Miglia. Until the auto industry made its dirty, cliff-side roads, hairpin turns, and spectator presence far too dangerous, the, which starts in Brescia, was one of the world's top automobile races. Since it was discontinued as a real race 40 years ago (following numerous driver and spectator deaths), it has continued as a museum of automobile history. The actual race, now a parade of refurbished and custom designed cars that slowly winds its way through 1000 miles of northern Italy, starts in May of each year.

The historic center of the city has an active shopping district, with numerous clothing and jewelry stores. City residents enjoy strolling through the stretches from the Portici (shopping porticos built literally on top of their similarly styled and utilized Roman antecedents in the heart of the downtown) to Piazza della Loggia.

Try the true "bresciano" food, including casoncelli (called in Brescian dialect "casonsei"), homemade tortellini with beef, served with "Burro versato" (spilled Butter) and sage with sprinkling of Parmigiano. Try the polenta (in winter only) a mush made with durum wheat, Polenta taragna is mixed with homemade cheeses and butter. Try the amazing spiedo (in winter only) roasted larks and pork meat cooked for 6–7 hours in oven with butter and flavours or on grill. It's very typically Bresciano!!!

As with most of Lombard cuisine, Brescian cooking features more beef and butter and more hearty, German-style dishes than the rest of Italy. Excellent pizzerias abound, including Al Teatro (by the theater and portici on the corner of Via Giuseppe Mazzini and Via Giuseppe Zanardelli) and the South-American styled Tempio Inca Pizzeria (Piazzale Arnaldo). Authentic Brescian osterias and trattorias are common on the north side of the city center, but you will find that the best are out of the way and, purposefully, rather hard to find. Try to find the Contrada Santa Chiara, a dark side street parallel to Via San Faustino, where just off Via Dei Musei (close to the Roman Ruins and Santa Giulia), you'll find several highly authentic and inexpensive osterias including Osteria al Bianchi. Cafe culture is just as prominent here as elsewhere, and there are several great coffee and aperitivo spots. Try the Due Stelle on Via San Faustino (also a great restaurant), or any of several cafe/restaurants just north of the Duomos between the Piazza Paulo VI and Via Dei Musei, which feature drinks and unlimited gourmet aperitivo buffets for under 6 Euro.

• Amarcord Artisan Piada Restaurant, Via Fratelli Ugoni 16a, +39 030 42216. Fast food. Has vegan options. Budget.
• Osteria Al Bianchi, Via Gasparo da Salò, 32, +39 030 292328.
• Schiaccia Brescia, via Mazzini 5 & Via Cipro 15, +39 030 280 7252. Fast food joint. Budget.
• Trattoria G.A. Porteri, Via Trento, 52, +39 030 301833.

Amarcord Artisan Piada Restaurant, Via Fratelli Ugoni 16a, +39 030 42216. Fast food. Has vegan options. Budget.

Osteria Al Bianchi, Via Gasparo da Salò, 32, +39 030 292328.

Schiaccia Brescia, via Mazzini 5 & Via Cipro 15, +39 030 280 7252. Fast food joint. Budget.

Trattoria G.A. Porteri, Via Trento, 52, +39 030 301833.

Franciacorta wines are easily found. They're excellent, world famous, and very expensive. Try some of the non-DOC labels, which avoid EU regulations in order to preserve centuries-old vineyard traditions.

Brescia is also one of the most night-active city in the whole Italy, because of the industrial wealth. Brescian youths (and Lombardians in general) are famous for partying the night way — every single night. Many hotspots for locals can be found outside the city; in the center try Piazzale Arnaldo on the eastern edge and Borgo Pietro Wuhrer about 5 km east of the center on Via Venezia.

• Viselli's. A small bar with an old proprietor who owns the copyright to his cocktails. It's a must in Brescia to try the Viselli's Champagnone (very good but very strong)
• Borgo Wührer: lots of beautiful bars such as Nacio, Hico de puta, BW Cafè, Pappavero, and more.

Viselli's. A small bar with an old proprietor who owns the copyright to his cocktails. It's a must in Brescia to try the Viselli's Champagnone (very good but very strong)

[[w:it:Borgo Wührer|Borgo Wührer]]: lots of beautiful bars such as Nacio, Hico de puta, BW Cafè, Pappavero, and more.

Brescia is close to the lakes of Iseo and Garda. You can take trains and buses to the lakes. The ones who travels with a car will find scenic drives there and elsewhere around the city.

Brescia is also so close to other cities more proximate to natural beauty (e.g. Milan, Como, Iseo, Verona, Mantua, and many more), that you may want to just use one of them as a base.

The Franciacorta region south of the Lake Iseo boasts opportunities to taste some of the finest (and most expensive) in Italy, as well as tour vineyards and cantinas.

Hiking and biking in the alpine foothills around the city are open to more physically fit and adventurous travellers.