Brescia
With a population approaching 200,000, the city of Brescia is the second largest in Lombardy and the capital of its own province. One of Italy's most important industrial centres: apart from metallurgic companies it's home to major firearms brands such as Beretta, it also sits in an advantageous area for visitors to the Italian Lakes, nestled as it is between Lake Garda and Lake Iseo. Tourists are also drawn by the annual "Mille Miglia" (Thousand Miles) which was originally an endurance race from Brescia to Rome and back, now evolved into a procession of vintage cars. The European Centre of Gastronomy in 2017, Brescia brings to the table Italy's most famous caviar as well as the Franciacorta sparkling wine.
Dating back to 1,200 BC, Brescia can boast more than 3,000 years of history, much of it glorious including its period under Roman rule when it was known as "Brixia"; its position at the foot of the Alps making it strategically important both for trade and military purposes. During medieval times Brescia was a capital of the Longobard Kingdom (also known as the "Lombard Kingdom") from where the modern region of Lombardy takes its name), before its capture by Charlemagne in 774 AD. The Longobard heritage is a fundamental part of modern-day Brescia; since 2011 it has been inscribed into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with the monastic complex of San Salvatore and Santa Giulia forming part of the wider "Longobards in Italy: Places of Power (568–774 A.D.)" inscription.
The Santa Giulia complex and museum is around a 10 minute walk from Brescia's pretty medieval centre. One of the main sights here is the Piazza della Loggia with its beautiful clock tower (Torre dell'Orologio) at one end and the town hall, simply known as "La Loggia" at the other. The Piazza Paolo VI is home to Brescia's two cathedrals: Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral) and Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral), while a short walk from there will take you to the Piazza della Vittoria, notable for its completely different architectural style, belonging to the Italian Fascist period of the 20th century and built in 1932. Slightly further away from the centre you'll find the looming presence of the Castello di Brescia, which has been standing guard to the city since the 15th century.
Brescia is one of the major cities connected by the A4 motorway which stretches west to east from Turin towards Venice. An hour and a half to the west there's Milan while in the other direction the cities of Verona (1 hour) and Padua (around 2 hours) are also within range of a day-trip. Although Brescia has its own airport just outside the city, it's mainly for domestic flights and there are more international options available in Verona. By train, Brescia is within easy reach of locations around Lake Garda such as Desenzano del Garda or Sirmione, as well as Milan and Italy's other major cities.
Getting around the city centre is easiest on foot as the most attractive areas such as Piazza della Loggia are pedestrianised but there's also a Metro system in operation. This particularly works well for the train station which would otherwise be a 15 minute walk.
Dating back to 1,200 BC, Brescia can boast more than 3,000 years of history, much of it glorious including its period under Roman rule when it was known as "Brixia"; its position at the foot of the Alps making it strategically important both for trade and military purposes. During medieval times Brescia was a capital of the Longobard Kingdom (also known as the "Lombard Kingdom") from where the modern region of Lombardy takes its name), before its capture by Charlemagne in 774 AD. The Longobard heritage is a fundamental part of modern-day Brescia; since 2011 it has been inscribed into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with the monastic complex of San Salvatore and Santa Giulia forming part of the wider "Longobards in Italy: Places of Power (568–774 A.D.)" inscription.
The Santa Giulia complex and museum is around a 10 minute walk from Brescia's pretty medieval centre. One of the main sights here is the Piazza della Loggia with its beautiful clock tower (Torre dell'Orologio) at one end and the town hall, simply known as "La Loggia" at the other. The Piazza Paolo VI is home to Brescia's two cathedrals: Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral) and Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral), while a short walk from there will take you to the Piazza della Vittoria, notable for its completely different architectural style, belonging to the Italian Fascist period of the 20th century and built in 1932. Slightly further away from the centre you'll find the looming presence of the Castello di Brescia, which has been standing guard to the city since the 15th century.
Brescia is one of the major cities connected by the A4 motorway which stretches west to east from Turin towards Venice. An hour and a half to the west there's Milan while in the other direction the cities of Verona (1 hour) and Padua (around 2 hours) are also within range of a day-trip. Although Brescia has its own airport just outside the city, it's mainly for domestic flights and there are more international options available in Verona. By train, Brescia is within easy reach of locations around Lake Garda such as Desenzano del Garda or Sirmione, as well as Milan and Italy's other major cities.
Getting around the city centre is easiest on foot as the most attractive areas such as Piazza della Loggia are pedestrianised but there's also a Metro system in operation. This particularly works well for the train station which would otherwise be a 15 minute walk.
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Category: Major Cities & Towns of Lombardy
Administrative area: Capital of Brescia Province Population: 198,536 Highlights: Torre dell'Orologio, Piazza della Loggia, Two Cathedrals Close by: Lake Garda, Lake Iseo, Salò, Desenzano del Garda City centre hotels: 25 |
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Main train station: Stazione di Brescia (1km/15min walk to centre)
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Best airport: Milan Bergamo Airport (54 km from centre)
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For more advice on visiting Brescia or Lombardy in general feel free to write to me, Dion Protani at info@italyreview.com.
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