Brescia info

Brescia

The city of art and tradition

Welcome to Brescia, the city from which the historical car race 1000 Miglia (a thousand miles) starts every year.
It is nicknamed “the most beautiful race in the world”.
It is a city full of beautiful squares, plenty of history, and museums.
This year it was elected as “Italian Capital of Culture of 2023”, together with then neighboring city of Bergamo.

Piazza della Loggia

300m/3 min walk
It is one of the main, and most well known, squares in Brescia.
This square is a symbol of the Rinascimento period and Venetian dominion in Brescia: the structure and style are a clear call-back to the much more famous San Marco square in Venice.
It was designed and built starting in the 1400s, with a rectangular shape, bounded along its perimeter by a number of historical buildings: the Loggia palace, built in the 1500s, seat of the town council stands to the west; to the south, the two Mounts of Piety, old and new; on the eastern end, the Rinascimento-era portico and the astronomical clock tower, built in the 1500s.
Many bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops overlook the square.

Piazza Paolo VI or del Duomo

450m/5 min walk
Paolo VI square is better known colloquially as Duomo square, due to the presence of the two cathedrals, the old Duomo (or Round) and the new Duomo.
It was named after Pope Paul the Sixth after his death.
This is originally a medieval-era square, much like most of the buildings that overlook it.
Among them is palazzo del Broletto, which dates back to the 1200s, the oldest public institutional building in the city.
Nowadays, the Torre Civica (also known as Torre del Pégol) and loggia delle Grida
are also part of the building.
In the southern area of the square we have the old Duomo, dating back to the Romanic era (11thcentury), a rare and noteworthy example of a circular medieval stone building.
The new Duomo was built between 1604 and 1825 and sports various architectural styles.
Piazza Duomo has long been considered an ideal spot for bars and restaurants in the city centre.

Piazza della Vittoria

500m/5 min walk
Built between 1927 and 1932 to the design of the architect and urban planner Marcello Piacentini, after demolishing a part of the old, medieval city center.
The entire neighbourhood Quartiere delle Pescherie used to be where Piazza della Vittoria now stands.
It is a clear example of architecture and urban planning from the fascist decades of the past century.
Piazza Vittoria is often used as a location for manifestations and important local events, such as the famous “1000 Miglia” race, and it hosts a market on Saturday mornings.
There are quite a few bars and restaurants here as well.

Capitolino Temple or Capitolium

650m/8 min walk
The Capitolium dates back to 73 a.D..
It is a roman temple, located in via dei Musei, overlooking piazza del Foro. It was ordered by emperor Vespasiano.
The roman area sits at the foot of mount Cidneo and it is the most ancient part of the city, where the roman Brixia ruins are still visible.
The temple, together with the amphitheater, the remains of the roman forum, and the archeological dig area under Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco Novarino, is part of the biggest, most important Roman era site in northern Italy.
The monumental complex was declared UNESCO world heritage site in 2011, along with the nearby San Salvatore – Santa Giulia monumental complex.

Monumental complex San Salvatore-Santa Giulia

900m/11 min walk
The Santa Giulia Monastery is an ancient monastic complex located in via dei Musei. The older Monastero di San Salvatore, from the Longobard era, is also part of this archeological hub.
What we see now is the result of renovations that took place during the 15th and 16th centuries.
It is a part of a larger historical site called “The Longobards in Italy”, which includes seven locations showcasing architectural, pictorial and sculptoral Longobard art.
It is included among the UNESCO world heritage sites.
The Santa Giulia museum is the main museum in Brescia and it is located inside the Monastery.

Teatro Grande

650m/8 min walk
The Teatro Grande is the main theater of Brescia, located halfway through Corso Zanardelli, and it owes its name to Napoleone Bonaparte, “the Great”.
It was built and remodeled several times between mid-18th century and mid-19th century.
Here, dance shows, opera, ballet, concerts, and other cultural events take place.
For information about shows and visiting the theater:
https://www.teatrogrande.it/en/

The Castle

1km/15 min walk
Nicknamed “the Falcon of Italy”, it is a medieval-era fortress erected on mount Cidneo.
It is one of the most interesting fortified complexes of Italy, the second-biggest in Europe.
Inside the Castle you can find roman-era remains, medieval buildings, and even an early 1900s locomotive.
The Castle is also home to the Museum of Arms and Risorgimento Museum.
In summer it often hosts music shows and an open-air cinema.
In the larger Castle area there are a few bars and a tennis court with restaurant.
The hill has long been considered an endpoint for long, pleasant walks: you can start from various spots in the city center below and walk up to the Castle.