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Brescia
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Overview
The largest of the four great Eastern Lombard towns, Brescia is also the most Roman of the quartet. Indeed, the settlement known in antiquity as Brixia guards the most important Roman ruins in northern Italy. Backing them up is a huge monastic complex founded in the 8th century, a museum dedicated to a marathon car race and not one but two cathedrals residing side-by-side in the main square.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Brescia
You could spend a whole day in this monster of a museum housed in an ex-monastery and still have plenty left for another visit. Those with limited time鈥
Brescia
Brescia鈥檚 impressive archaeological complex cleverly reconstructs the city鈥檚 Roman past from fragments first discovered in the 1820s. It consists of three鈥
Brescia
Perhaps beautiful is not the word but this nonetheless fascinating piazza is a leftover of Il Duce's dreams of grandeur. Designed by Marcello Piacentini鈥
Brescia
The original Mille Miglia (Thousand Miles) ran between 1927 and 1957 and was one of Italy's most legendary endurance car races 鈥 it started in Brescia and鈥
Brescia
This 17th-century palace houses two separate museums, and it makes a worthwhile detour while exploring Brescia's historic sites. The Brixia Light Box 鈥
Brescia
The most compelling of all Brescia's religious monuments is the 11th-century Duomo Vecchio, a rare example of a circular-plan Romanesque basilica, built鈥
Brescia
Set in a salubrious park atop a hill, Brescia鈥檚 impressive castle is a great place for aimless wandering (early mornings are best), soaking up views and鈥
Brescia
Back in the first century AD, the Piazza del Foro was the centre of civic and religious life in Brescia (Brixia). You can see a few fragments 鈥 including鈥
Plan with a local
Articles
Latest stories from Brescia
Art and CultureA reason to travel to Bergamo and Brescia in 2023: Italy鈥檚 new capitals of cultureNov 9, 2022 鈥 4 min read
Sustainable TravelYou can now bike your way through the Alpine valleys of northern ItalyOct 25, 2019 鈥 1 min read
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