Brescia

Brescia keeps the best-preserved Roman public complex in northern Italy: the Capitolium of AD 73, a theatre and a stretch of forum, excavated in the nineteenth century. In 1826 a group of gilded bronzes was found walled up nearby, including a Winged Victory of the first century, restored and redisplayed in 2020. The monastery of Santa Giulia, founded in 753 by the Lombard king Desiderius, now holds the city museum across its churches and cloisters, including the Cross of Desiderius, a wooden cross set with over two hundred gems, one of them a third-century painted glass portrait of a Roman family. Both were UNESCO-listed in 2011.

History

Brescia, ancient Brixia, was founded over 3,200 years ago and has been an important regional centre since pre-Roman times; myths credit its founding to Hercules or to a fugitive from the siege of Troy, who called it Altilia, "the other Ilium". Its old town keeps the best-preserved Roman public buildings in northern Italy (Wikipedia, Brescia).

What to look for

• The Capitolium - a Roman temple of AD 73 above the forum.
• The Winged Victory - a bronze statue found walled up in 1826.
• The Cross of Desiderius - a gem-set cross with an antique glass portrait.
• Santa Giulia - a Lombard monastery converted into the city museum.

When to go

April to October; the museum closes Mondays. Brescia was joint Italian Capital of Culture in 2023 and has kept a fuller events programme since.

Practical notes

The archaeological park and museum are separate tickets and both take time. Some Roman areas are viewed from walkways only. The modern city is industrial.

Nearby

Lake Iseo lies north; Franciacorta is between them.

Key facts