Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' in the region of
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
,
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
. It is situated at the foot of the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
Iseo Iseo may refer to:
Acronyms
* International Sustainable Energy Organization (ISEO)
Places Italy
* Iseo, Lombardy, a ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia
* Lake Iseo, a lake in the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia, Lombardy
* Provaglio d'Iseo, ...
. With a population of more than 200,000, it is the second largest city in the administrative region and the fourth largest in northwest Italy. The urban area of Brescia extends beyond the administrative city limits and has a population of 672,822, while over 1.5 million people live in its
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
. The city is the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia, one of the largest in Italy, with over 1,200,000 inhabitants.
Founded over 3,200 years ago, Brescia (in antiquity Brixia) has been an important regional centre since pre-Roman times. Its old town contains the best-preserved
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
public buildings in northern Italy and numerous monuments, among these the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
castle, the
Old
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
as part of a group of seven inscribed as Longobards in Italy, Places of Power.
Brescia is considered to be an important industrial city. Metallurgy and production of metal parts, machine tools and firearms are of particular economic significance, along with mechanical and automotive engineering. Among the major companies based in the Brescia metro area there are utility company
A2A
A2A S.p.A. is an Italian company, organised as a ''società per azioni'', that generates, distributes, and markets renewable energy, electricity, gas, integrated water supply, and waste management services. The company has significant presence in ...
, automotive manufacturer OMR, steel producers Lucchini and Alfa Acciai, machine tools producers Camozzi and Lonati, firearms manufacturers Fausti, Beretta and Perazzi, gas equipment manufacturers Sabaf and Cavagna, etc.
Brescia is home to the prestigious
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
classic car race that starts and ends in the town.
In the arts, it was nicknamed ''Leonessa d'Italia'' ("The Lioness of Italy") by Gabriele d'Annunzio, who selected Gardone Riviera (nearby on the shores of Garda Lake) as his final residence. The estate he built (largely thanks to state-sponsored funding) il
Vittoriale
The Vittoriale degli italiani (English translation: ''The shrine of victories of the Italians'') is a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera overlooking Lake Garda in province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is where the Italian poet and novel ...
, is now a public institution devoted to the arts; a museum dedicated to him is hosted in his former residence.
Brescia is also the setting for most of the action in Alessandro Manzoni's 1822 play ''
Adelchi
''Adelchi'' () is the second tragedy written by Alessandro Manzoni.Banham (1998, 678). It was first published in 1822.
The main character is Adelchis, a Longobard prince torn by the inner conflict between his father Desiderio's will and his own ...
''.
The province is known for being the production area of the
Franciacorta
The territory of Franciacorta, from Latin "franchae curtes", which means "exempted from paying duties", is a section of the Province of Brescia in the Italian Region of Lombardy. Franciacorta is known for its wine production and includes world-f ...
sparkling wine, as well as the main source of Italian-produced caviar. Brescia with her territory was the "European Region of Gastronomy" in 2017.
History
Ancient era
Various myths relate to the founding of Brescia: one assigns it to
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
while another attributes its foundation as ''Altilia'' ("the other Ilium") by a fugitive from the siege of
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
. According to another myth, the founder was the king of the Ligures, Cidnus, who had invaded the
Padan Plain
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...
in the late
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. ''Colle Cidneo'' (Cidnus's Hill) was named after that version, and it is the site of the medieval castle. This myth seems to have a grain of truth, because recent archaeological excavations have unearthed remains of a settlement dating back to 1,200 BC that scholars presume to have been built and inhabited by Ligures peoples. Others scholars attribute the founding of Brescia to the
Etruscan __NOTOC__
Etruscan may refer to:
Ancient civilization
*The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy
*Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization
**Etruscan architecture
**Etruscan art
**Etruscan cities
**Etruscan ...
Cenomani The Gaulish name Cenomani can refer to:
* Aulerci Cenomani, an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling around modern Le Mans
* Cenomani (Cisalpine Gaul)
The Cenomani (Greek: , Strabo, Ptol.; , Polyb.), was an ancient tribe of the Cisalpine Gauls, who ...
, allies of the
Insubres
The Insubres or Insubri were an ancient Celts, Celtic population settled in Insubria, in what is now the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Lombardy. They were the founders of Mediolanum (Milan). Though completely Gaulish at the time of Roman rep ...
, invaded in the 7th century BC, and used the town as their capital. The city became Roman in 225 BC, when the Cenomani submitted to the Romans. During the
Carthaginian Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of wars between 264 and 146BC fought between Rome and Carthage. Three conflicts between these states took place on both land and sea across the western Mediterranean region and involved a total of forty-three yea ...
, 'Brixia' (as it was called then) was allied with the Romans. During a Celtic alliance against Rome the city remained faithful to the Romans. With their Roman allies the city attacked and destroyed the Insubres by surprise. Subsequently, the city and the tribe entered the Roman world peacefully as faithful allies, maintaining a certain administrative freedom. In 89 BC, Brixia was recognized as ''civitas'' ("city") and in 41 BC, its inhabitants received Roman citizenship.
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
founded a civil (not military) colony there in 27 BC, and he and Tiberius constructed an aqueduct to supply it. Roman Brixia had at least three temples, an aqueduct, a theatre, a forum with another temple built under
Vespasianus
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
, and some baths.
When
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
* Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...
advanced against
Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
in 312, an engagement took place at Brixia in which the enemy was forced to retreat as far as
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
. In 402, the city was ravaged by the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
of
Alaric I
Alaric I (; got, 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃, , "ruler of all"; c. 370 – 410 AD) was the first king of the Visigoths, from 395 to 410. He rose to leadership of the Goths who came to occupy Moesia—territory acquired a couple of decades ...
. During the 452 invasion of the
Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
under
Attila
Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European traditio ...
, the city was besieged and sacked. Forty years later, it was one of the first conquests by the Gothic general
Theoderic the Great
Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal ( got, , *Þiudareiks; Greek: , romanized: ; Latin: ), was king of the Ostrogoths (471–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy b ...
in his war against
Odoacer
Odoacer ( ; – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a soldier and statesman of barbarian background, who deposed the child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became Rex/Dux (476–493). Odoacer's overthrow of Romulus Augustul ...
.
Middle Ages
In 568 (or 569), Brescia was taken from the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
s by the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...
, who made it the capital of one of their semi-independent duchies. The first duke was Alachis, who died in 573. Later dukes included the future kings of the Lombards
Rothari
Rothari (or Rothair) ( 606 – 652), of the Harodingi, house of Arodus, was king of the Lombards from 636 to 652; previously he had been duke of Brescia. He succeeded Arioald, who was an Arianism, Arian like himself, and was one of the most energe ...
and
Rodoald
Rodoald (or ''Rodwald''), ( 630 – 653) was a Lombard king of Italy, who succeeded his father Rothari on the throne in 652. He was said to be lecherous and he was assassinated after a reign of just six months in 653 by the husband of one of his l ...
, and Alachis II, a fervent anti-Catholic, who was killed in battle at
Cornate d'Adda
Cornate d'Adda (''Curnàa'' in the Brianza dialect, and simply Cornate until 1924) is a ''comune'' of 10,799 inhabitants in the province of Monza and Brianza, and it is 21 km away from Monza, the provincial capital. It is part of the '' Vimerca ...
in 688. The last king of the Lombards, Desiderius, also held the title Duke of Brescia.
In 774,
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
captured the city and ended the presence of the Lombard kingdom in northern Italy.
Notingus was the first (prince-)bishop (in 844) who bore the title of
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
(see
Bishopric of Brescia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brescia ( la, Dioecesis Brixiensis) is a Latin rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Milan, in Lombardy (Northwestern Italy).Louis II the Younger, Brescia became ''de facto'' capital of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
.
Later the power of the bishop as imperial representative was gradually opposed by the local citizens and nobles, resulting in Brescia becoming a
free commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms) among the citizens of a town or city. These took many forms and varied widely in organization and makeup.
C ...
around the early 12th century. Subsequently, it expanded into the nearby countryside, first at the expense of the local landholders, and later against the neighbouring communes, notably
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
and
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
. Brescia defeated the latter twice at
Pontoglio
Pontoglio (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is situated on the left bank of the river Oglio
The Oglio (; Latin ''Ollius'', or ''Olius''; Lombard ''Òi''; Cremonese ''Ùi'') is a left-side tributary of th ...
, then at the Grumore (mid-12th century) and in the battle of the Malamorte (Bad Death) (1192).
In 1138, Brescia experienced a communal revolt against the local Bishop Manfred led by radical reformer and
Canons regular
Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by a ...
Arnold of Brescia
Arnold of Brescia ( 1090 – June 1155), also known as Arnaldus ( it, Arnaldo da Brescia), an Italian canon regular from Lombardy, called on the Church to renounce property-ownership and participated in the failed Commune of Rome of 1144 ...
. This revolt broke out due to the city's involvement in the ecclesiastical and political conflict that resulted from the
1130 papal election
The 1130 papal election (held February 14) was convoked after the death of Pope Honorius II and resulted in a double election. Part of the cardinals, led by Cardinal-Chancellor Aymeric de la Chatre, elected Gregorio Papareschi as Pope Innocent I ...
. This controversial election divided the College of Cardinals and caused a schism between
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...
(who had the minority vote) and
Antipope Anacletus II
Anacletus II (died January 25, 1138), born Pietro Pierleoni, was an antipope who ruled in opposition to Pope Innocent II from 1130 until his death in 1138. After the death of Pope Honorius II, the college of cardinals was divided over his succ ...
(who had the majority vote). During the early 1130s, when Anacletus had power over Brescia, he appointed Bishop Villanus to the diocese, but in 1132 Innocent regained control and installed Manfred. Despite Manfred supporting the reformed clergy, which Brescia had historical supported with its proximity to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and the
Pataria
The ''pataria'' was an eleventh-century movement focused on the city of Milan in northern Italy, which aimed to reform the clergy and ecclesiastic government within the city and its ecclesiastical province, in support of papal sanctions against si ...
reform movement in the 11th century, Manfred was cast out as he clashed with the growth of the commune and the local nobility. The revolt began around 1135 and was manageable at first, but by 1138 Manfred was forced to seek papal support and left for Rome. Arnold is believed to have joined the revolt around this time, as contemporary historian
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury (late 1110s – 25 October 1180), who described himself as Johannes Parvus ("John the Little"), was an English author, philosopher, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres.
Early life and education
Born at Salisbury, En ...
records that Arnold only 'so swayed the minds of the citizens that they would scarcely open their gates to the bishop on his return.' Manfred was therefore forced to return to Rome and was likely witness to the
Second Council of the Lateran
The Second Council of the Lateran was the tenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church. It was convened by Pope Innocent II in April 1139 and attended by close to a thousand clerics. Its immediate task was to neutralise the after-ef ...
in 1139, after which he obtained Pope Innocent's support and had Arnold exiled from Italy. Arnold's home was Brescia, but he would never return to the city; instead he developed his reform ideology while in exile and continued to dissent against the Church. He worked with intellectual
Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This source has a detailed desc ...
(who he potentially studied under in the 1110s) who was condemned of heresy at the
Council of Sens The Councils of Sens were a number of church councils hosted by the Archdiocese of Sens.
The first, around 600 or 601, in conformity with the instructions of pope St. Gregory the Great advised against simony. St. Columbanus refused to attend it ...
1141 and went on to join the Commune of Rome in 1148, which led to his execution by
Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
and
Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV ( la, Adrianus IV; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159, also Hadrian IV), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 to his death in 1159. He is the only Englishman t ...
in 1155.
During the struggles of the 12th and 13th centuries between the Lombard cities and the Holy Roman emperors, Brescia was implicated either in league with the emperors or against them. In the
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was a battle between the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and the troops of the Lombard League on May 29, 1176, near the town of Legnano in present-day Lombardy, in Italy. Although the presence of the enemy nearby wa ...
the contingent from Brescia was second in size to that of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. The
Peace of Constance
The Peace of Constance (25 June 1183) was a privilege granted by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his son and co-ruler, Henry VI, King of the Romans, to the members of the Lombard League to end the state of rebellion (war) that had been ong ...
(1183) that ended the war with
Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
confirmed officially the free status of the ''comune''. In 1201 the ''
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
''
Rambertino Buvalelli
Rambertino di Guido Buvalelli (1170 or 1180 – September 1221), a Bolognese judge, statesman, diplomat, and poet, was the earliest of the ''podestà''-troubadours of thirteenth-century Lombardy. He served at one time or other as ''podestà ...
made peace and established a league with Cremona, Bergamo, and
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
. Memorable also was the
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
laid by the Emperor Frederick II in 1238 on account of the part taken by Brescia in the
Battle of Cortenova
The Battle of Cortenuova (sometimes spelled Cortenova) was fought on 27 November 1237 in the course of the Guelphs and Ghibellines Wars: in it, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II defeated the Second Lombard League.
Background
In 1235 Emperor ...
(1237). Brescia came through this assault victorious. After the fall of the
Hohenstaufen
The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...
, republican institutions declined in Brescia as in the other free cities and the leadership was contested between powerful families, chief among them the Maggi and the Brusati, the latter of the (pro-imperial, anti-papal)
Ghibelline
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...
party. In 1258 the city fell into the hands of Ezzelino da Romano.
In 1311 Emperor Henry VII laid siege to Brescia for six months, losing three-fourths of his army. Later the Scaliger of Verona, aided by the exiled Ghibellines, sought to place Brescia under subjugation. The citizens of Brescia then had recourse to
John of Luxemburg
John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...
, but
Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala (1308 – 3 June 1351) was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of Northern Italy.
He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother ...
expelled the governor appointed by him. His mastery was soon contested by the
Visconti of Milan
The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...
, but not even their rule was undisputed, as
Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta (c. 1369 – October 3, 1427) was an Italian condottiero and lord of Fano, a member of the famous House of Malatesta.
Biography
He was the second son of Galeotto I Malatesta. After the latter's death, the Malatesta lan ...
took possession of the city in 1406. However, in 1416 he bartered it to
duke of Milan, who in 1426 sold it to the Venetians. The Milanese nobles forced Filippo to resume hostilities against the Venetians, and thus to attempt the recovery of Brescia, but he was defeated in the
Battle of Maclodio
The Battle of Maclodio was fought on 11 October 1427, resulting in a victory for the Venetians under Carmagnola over the Milanese under Carlo I Malatesta. The battle was fought at Maclodio (or Macalo), a small town near the River Oglio, fifteen ...
(1427), near Brescia, by general
Carmagnola
Carmagnola (; pms, Carmagnòla ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located south of Turin. The town is on the right side of the Po river. The nature of the soil determined over t ...
, commander of the Venetian mercenary army. In 1439, Brescia was once more besieged by Francesco Sforza, captain of the Venetians, who defeated
Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino (1386 – 15 October 1444) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was born in Perugia, the son of a butcher. Piccinino was introduced in the guild of Perugia's butchers. He was later scornfully called "son of a butcher" by ...
, Filippo's
condottiero
''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...
. Thenceforward Brescia and the province were a Venetian possession, only disrupted by the French conquest in 1512.
Early Modern era
Brescia has had a major role in the
history of the violin
The violin, viola and cello were first built in the early 16th century, in Italy. The earliest evidence for their existence is in paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrari from the 1530s, though Ferrari's instruments had only three strings. The ''Académie ...
. Many archive documents very clearly testify that from 1490 to 1640 Brescia was the cradle of a magnificent school of string players and makers, all styled "maestro", of all the different kinds of stringed instruments of the Renaissance: viola da gamba (viols), violone, lyra, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo. So you can find from 1495 "maestro delle viole" or "maestro delle lire" and later, at least from 1558, "maestro di far violini" that is master of violin making. From 1530 the word violin appeared in Brescian documents and spread in later decades throughout north of Italy, reaching Venezia and Cremona.
Early in the 16th century Brescia was one of the wealthiest cities of Lombardy, but it never recovered from its sack by the French in 1512.
The "Sack of Brescia" took place on 18 February 1512, during the
War of the League of Cambrai
The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and several other names, was fought from February 1508 to December 1516 as part of the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The main participants of the war, who fough ...
. The city of Brescia had revolted against French control, garrisoning itself with
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
troops. Gaston de Foix, recently arrived to command the French armies in Italy, ordered the city to surrender; when it refused, he attacked it with around 12,000 men. The French attack took place in a pouring rain, through a field of mud; Foix ordered his men to remove their shoes for better traction. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties on the French, but were eventually overrun, suffering 8,000 – 15,000 casualties. The Gascon infantry and landsknechts then proceeded to thoroughly sack the city, massacring thousands of civilians over the next five days. Following this, the city of
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
paid some 60,000
ducat
The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wi ...
s to the French to avoid a similar fate.
The French occupied Brescia until 1520, when Venetian rule resumed. Thereafter, Brescia shared the fortunes of the Venetian republic until the latter fell at the hands of French general
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
.
In 1769, in the
Brescia explosion The Brescia explosion occurred in 1769 in Brescia (now part of Italy) when a large store of gunpowder exploded after a lightning strike, causing extensive destruction and many deaths. Claims that as many as 6,000 people died in the explosion (whic ...
, the city was devastated when the Bastion of San Nazaro was struck by
lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
. The resulting fire ignited of
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
stored there, causing a massive explosion which destroyed one-sixth of the Brescia and killed 3,000 people.
revolutionary republics
A revolutionary republic is a form of government whose main tenets are popular sovereignty, rule of law, and representative democracy. It is based in part on the ideas of Whig and Enlightenment thinkers, and was favored by revolutionaries dur ...
and then of the
Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814; it, Regno d'Italia; french: Royaume d'Italie) was a kingdom in Northern Italy (formerly the Italian Republic) in personal union with Napoleon I's French Empire. It was fully influenced by revolutionary Franc ...
after Napoleon became Emperor of the French. After the end of the Napoleonic era in 1815, Brescia was annexed to the Austrian puppet state known as the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia.
Brescia revolted in
1848
1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...
; then again in March 1849, when the Piedmontese army invaded Austrian-controlled Lombardy, the people in Brescia overthrew the hated local Austrian administration, and the Austrian military contingent, led by general Haynau, retreated to the Castle (). When the larger military operations turned against the Piedmontese, forcing them to retreat, Brescia was left to its own resources. Still, the citizens managed to resist recapture by the Austrian army for ten days of bloody and obstinate street fighting that are now celebrated as the
Ten Days of Brescia
The Ten Days of Brescia ( it, Dieci giornate di Brescia) was a revolt which broke out in the northern Italian city of that name, which lasted from 23 March to 1 April 1849.
In the early 19th century Brescia was subject of the Austrian empire, as ...
. This prompted poet
Giosuè Carducci
Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci (; 27 July 1835 – 16 February 1907) was an Italian poet, writer, literary critic and teacher. He was very noticeably influential, and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906, h ...
to nickname Brescia "Leonessa d'Italia" ("Italian Lioness"), since it was the only Lombard town to rally to King Charles Albert of Piedmont (and to the cause of
Italian unification
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
) in that year.
In 1859, the city was conquered by the Italian troops and Brescia was included in the newly founded
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
.
The city was awarded a gold medal for its resistance against Fascism in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
On 28 May 1974, it was the seat of the bloody
Piazza della Loggia bombing
The Piazza della Loggia bombing was a bombing that took place on the morning of 28 May 1974, in Brescia, Italy during an anti-fascist protest. The terrorist attack killed eight people and wounded 102. The bomb was placed inside a rubbish bin at ...
.
Geography
Topography
Brescia is located in the north-western section of the
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...
Lake Garda
Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label=Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy.
It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...
to the east (but it has also other important lakes like Idro and Moro). The southern area of the city is flat, while towards the north the territory becomes hilly. The city's lowest point is above sea level, the highest point is
Monte Maddalena
Monte Maddalena is a mountain of Lombardy, Italy, It has an elevation of 874 metres.
Gallery
File:StradaAnticaMantovanaBrescia.JPG,
Mountains of the Alps
Mountains of Lombardy
{{Lombardy-geo-stub ...
at , while the centre of the town is . The administrative comune covers a total area of .
Modern Brescia has a central area focused on residential and tertiary activities. Around the city proper, lies a vast urban agglomeration with over 600,000 inhabitants that expands mainly to the north, to the west and to the east, engulfing many communes in a continuous urban landscape.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Brescia has a mid-latitude
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa''). Its average annual temperature is : during the day and at night. The warmest months are June, July, and August, with high temperatures from to . The coldest are December, January, and February, with low temperatures from to .
Winter is moderately cold, but not harsh, with some snow, mainly occurs from December through February, but snow cover does not usually remain for long. Summer can be sultry, when humidity levels are high and peak temperatures can reach . Spring and autumn are generally pleasant, with temperatures ranging between and .
The relative humidity is high throughout the year, especially in winter when it causes fog, mainly from dusk until late morning, although the phenomenon has become increasingly less frequent in recent years.
Precipitation is spread evenly throughout the year. The driest month is December, with precipitation of 54.6 mm (2.1 in), while the wettest month is May, with 104.9 mm (4.1 in) of rain.
Demographics
In 2015, there were 196,480 people residing in Brescia, of whom 47.1% were male and 52.9% were female. Minors (children aged 0–17) totalled 16% of the population compared to pensioners who number 24.6%. This compares with the Italian average of 16.5% (minors) and 22% (pensioners). In the four years between 2011 and 2015, the population of Brescia grew by 3.9%, while Italy as a whole grew by 2.1%. The current birth rate of Brescia is 7.9 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 8 births.
Brescia is one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities in Italy. In 2018, the foreign-born residents represented 12% of the total population. The largest immigrant group comes from other European nations (mostly
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
and
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
), the others from South Asia (mostly
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
) and North Africa. The city is predominantly
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, but due to immigration now has some
Orthodox Christian
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...
,
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
and
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
followers.
In 2006 there were about 1,000 people of Pakistani origins living in Brescia.
Government
Since local government political reorganization in 1993, Brescia has been governed by the City Council of Brescia, which is based in ''Palazzo della Loggia''. Voters elect directly 32 councilors and the Mayor of Brescia every five years.
Brescia was generally considered in the past one of the most important political bellwether in Italy. Historical stronghold of DC party, in 1994 it was the city in which was firstly experimented the newborn political center-left coalition formed by members of former
PCI
PCI may refer to:
Business and economics
* Payment card industry, businesses associated with debit, credit, and other payment cards
** Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of security requirements for credit card processors
* Pro ...
and DC parties against
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...
's center-right coalition: that year the last secretary of DC and former minister,
Mino Martinazzoli
Fermo "Mino" Martinazzoli (; 3 November 1931 – 4 September 2011) was an Italian lawyer, politician and former minister. He was the last secretary of the Christian Democracy party and the first secretary of the Italian People's Party founded ...
, run as mayor with the support of the leftist PDS and won the election defeating the
Forza Italia
Forza ItaliaThe name is not usually translated into English: ''forza'' is the second-person singular imperative of ''forzare'', in this case translating to "to compel" or "to press", and so means something like "Forward, Italy", "Come on, Ital ...
-
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official n ...
bloc candidate, endorsed by Berlusconi. This experience is considered even today one of the bases of
Romano Prodi
Romano Antonio Prodi (; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician, economist, academic, senior civil servant, and business executive who served as the tenth president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004. He served twice as Prim ...
's The Olive Tree political coalition.
Since then to 2008 the center-left coalition held the largest number of seats with a partnership administration based on the alliance between the major left-wing, green and independents parties. Anyway, in the 2008 local elections the center-right coalition formed by Silvio Berlusconi's
People of Freedom
The People of Freedom ( it, Il Popolo della Libertà, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL, launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007, was initially a federation of political parties, notably including Forza Italia a ...
party and the regionalist
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official n ...
won for the first time the majority in the City Council. These elections occurred the same day Berlusconi's coalition achieved an outright majority across the country.
However, in the 2013 elections the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
achieved an outright majority across the city and the center-left coalition became again the major force in the City Council. In the 2018 local elections the center-left coalition obtained even the 54% of the votes on the first round and the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, which obtained nearly the 35% of the votes, gained 15 seats out of 32 in the City Council.
The current Mayor of Brescia is Emilio Del Bono ( PD), elected on 10 June 2013, and re-elected for a second term on 10 June 2018.
Brescia is also the capital of its own province. The Provincial Council is seated in ''Palazzo Broletto''.
Subdivision
The city of Brescia is divided in 5 boroughs called ''zone''. Each ''zona'' is subdivided into a different number of ''quartieri''. Here is a list of Brescia's ''zone'' and ''quartieri'':
Main sights
The old town of Brescia (characterized, in the north-east, by a rectangular plan, with the streets that intersect at right angles, a peculiarity handed down from Roman times) has a significant artistic and archaeological heritage, consisting of various monuments ranging from the ancient age to contemporary.
UNESCO World Heritage monuments
In 2011,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
inscribed the monumental area with the monastic complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia in the
World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
, belonging to the group known as "
Longobards in Italy, Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...
".
Monumental area of the Roman forum
This is the archaeological complex where there are the best-preserved Roman public buildings in the
northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
, composed of:
*''Republican sanctuary''
:It is under the Capitoline temple. It has been built in the 1st century BC and it is the oldest structure of the
forum
Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to:
Common uses
* Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States
*Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city
**Roman Forum, most famous example
*Internet ...
. It consists of four rectangular rooms next to each other and inside then there are the remains of the original
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
floors and the wall frescoes, which from a stylistic point of view and state of preservation are comparable to those of
Pompeii
Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
. Since the spring of 2015, the western room has opened to the public, while the rest of the building is still undergoing archaeological excavation and restoration.
*'' Capitolium of Brixia''
:The primary temple in the city, it was dedicated to the cult of the
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter (mythology), Jupiter, Juno (my ...
. It was built in 73 AD and consists of three '' cellae'' that have preserved much of the original polychrome
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
floors, while their interior walls are now a
lapidarium
A lapidarium is a place where stone (Latin: ) monuments and fragments of archaeological interest are exhibited.
They can include stone epigraphy, epigraphs; statues; architectural elements such as columns, cornices, and acroterions; bas reliefs ...
displaying ancient Roman epigraphs collected in the 19th century. In front of the cellae, is a fragmentary
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
containing a dedication to the Emperor Vespasian. Almost entirely buried by a landslide of the Cidneo Hill, it was rediscovered in 1823 through various archaeological campaigns. During excavation in 1826, a splendid bronze statue of a
winged Victory
The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Nike of Samothrace'', is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the beg ...
was found inside it, likely hidden in late antiquity to preserve it from pillage. After restoration completed in 2013, the site reopened as a new archaeological park.
*''Roman theatre''
:It is located immediately at east of the Capitolium. It has been built in the Flavian era and altered in the 3rd century. With its 86 meters diameter, is one of the largest
Roman theatres
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
in northern Italy and originally it housed around 15,000 spectators. In the 5th century, an earthquake has heavily damaged the building. In addition, in later centuries, its remains were incorporated into new buildings built on top of it, largely demolished starting from the 19th century. Of the original structure are preserved the semicircular perimeter walls, the two side passages (''aditus'') and the remains of the ''
proscenium
A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
'', as well as many fragments of columns and friezes of the '' scaenae frons''. The most of the ''orchestra'' and the ''ima cavea'' are still below ground. The archaeological excavations should resume in the coming years.
Near the Capitolium is located the ''Palazzo Maggi Gambara'', an aristocratic palace built in the 16th century on top of the west ruins of the Roman theatre.
Monastic complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia
The monastic complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia is an outstanding architectural palimpsest, today transformed into the ''Museo di Santa Giulia'', which contains about 11,000 works of art and archaeological finds. During the period of Longobard domination, Princess
Anselperga
Anselperga (fl. 772), was an Italian abbess. She was the eldest daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and Ansa. She was the second Abbess of San Salvatore e Santa Giulia, which her parents had formed in Brescia from the union of San Michel ...
, daughter of King Desiderius, headed the monastery. It consists of:
*''Basilica of San Salvatore''
:It has been built in 753 by Duke of Brescia Desiderius, future Lombard king, and his wife Ansa. It is characterized by the simultaneous use of the Longobards stylistic elements and decorative motifs of classical and Byzantine art and it is one of the most important examples of High Middle Ages architecture in Italy. The basilica has a nave with two apses and has a transept with three apses. It is located over a pre-existing church, which had a single nave and three apses. Expanded in the following centuries, it houses various works of art, including the ''Stories of St. Obizio'' painted by Romanino and ''Stories of the Virgin and the infancy of Christ'' by Paolo Caylina il Giovane, as well as others from the Carolingian age.
*''Church of Santa Maria in Solario''
:It has been built in the mid-12th century as a chapel inside the monastery. It has a square base with an octagonal lantern and has two internal levels. Four vaults, supported in the centre by an ancient Roman altar, covers the lower floor, while a hemispherical dome covers the upper chamber, that has, into the east wall, three small apses. Inside there are frescoes by
Floriano Ferramola
Floriano or Fioravante Ferramola (c. 1478 – 3 July 1528) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Brescia.
Biography
Mentioned for the first time in 1503, his first known work is a ''Nativity'' from 1507 to 1508, now i ...
and two of the most important pieces of the treasure of the ancient monastery: the
Brescia Casket
The Brescia Casket or Lipsanotheca (in Italian ''Lipsanoteca'') is an ivory box, perhaps a reliquary, from the late 4th century, which is now in the Museo di Santa Giulia at San Salvatore in Brescia, Italy. It is a virtually unique survival of ...
(that consists of a small ivory box dating the 4th century) and the Cross of Desiderius (made of silver and gold plate, studded with 212 precious gems).
*''The nuns' choir''
:It is placed between the Basilica of San Salvatore and the church of Santa Giulia. It has been built between the late 15th and early 16th century and it is on two levels. The lower level is the old churchyard covered for access to the basilica. The upper floor is the real choir, made up by a room covered by a barrel vault, which is connected to the east with San Salvatore by three small windows with a grating, on the west by Santa Giulia through an arch. The interior of the choir is entirely decorated with frescoes painted by Ferramola and Caylina, and inside are shown different funerary monuments of the Venetian age, including the ''Martinengo Mausoleum'', a masterpiece of the Renaissance sculpture in Lombardy.
*''Church of Santa Giulia''
:It has been built between 1593 and 1599. The façade, made of Botticino marble, is decorated with a double row of pilasters of the Corinthian order, separated by a rich marble frieze and connected to the sides by volutes. The inside consists of a spacious nave covered with a barrel vault. In the church, there are no sacred furniture and there are only a few scraps of the frescoes that originally decorated each surface. Although annexed to the monastery, it is not part of the ''Museo di Santa Giulia'' and is used as a conference room.
In the former vegetable garden of this monastery have been discovered a group of Roman
domus
In Ancient Rome, the ''domus'' (plural ''domūs'', genitive ''domūs'' or ''domī'') was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. It was found in almost all the ma ...
called ''Domus dell'Ortaglia'' that were used between the 1st and 4th centuries and they are some of the best preserved domus in northern Italy.
Other sights
*Piazza della Loggia, example of
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
''piazza'', with the eponymous ''Palazzo della Loggia'' (current Town Hall), construction began in 1492 under the direction of Filippo de' Grassi and completed only in the 16th century by Sansovino and
Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...
. Vanvitelli designed the upper room of the palace (1769). On the south side of the square are two 15th–16th century ''
Monti di Pietà
A mount of piety is an institutional pawnbroker run as a charity in Europe from Renaissance times until today. Similar institutions were established in the colonies of Catholic countries; the Mexican Nacional Monte de Piedad is still in operation ...
'' (Christian lending houses). Their façades are embedded with ancient Roman tombstones, one of oldest antique lapidary displays in Italy. At the centre of the east side of the square stands the '' Torre dell'Orologio'', a tower with a large astronomical clock (mid-16th-century) on top of which there are two copper anthropomorphic automata which strike the hours on a bell. On May 28, 1974, the square was targeted by the terrorist bombing.
* Duomo Vecchio: the ''Old Cathedral'' also known as ''La Rotonda'' is circular 11th-century Romanesque church. The main structure, with rustic exteriors, was built atop ruins of an earlier basilica. Near the entrance is the pink marble sarcophagus of Berardo Maggi, while in the presbytery is the entrance to the crypt of San Filastrio. The structure houses masterworks by Alessandro Bonvicino (''il Moretto'');
Girolamo Romanino
Girolamo Romani, known as Romanino (c. 1485 - c. 1566), was an Italian High Renaissance painter active in the Veneto and Lombardy, near Brescia. His long career brought forth several different styles.
Biography
Romani was born in Brescia. H ...
,
Palma il Giovane
Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ("Young Palma"), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school.
After Tintoretto's death ...
,
Francesco Maffei
Francesco Maffei (1605 – 2 July 1660) was an Italian painter, active in the Baroque style.
Biography
He probably trained in his birthplace of Vicenza with his father, and painted mostly in the towns of the Veneto (Venetian mainland). He di ...
, and others.
* Duomo Nuovo: construction of the ''New Cathedral'' began in 1604 and only completed in 1825. Initially designed by Palladio, economic shortfalls led to a younger local architects and artists completing initial work, including decorations by
Pietro Maria Bagnadore
Piermaria Bagnadore (c. 1550–1627), also called Pietro Maria Bagnatori, was an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect of the late-Renaissance period.
Biography
Born in Orzinuovi, he trained with il Moretto da Brescia, and painted mainly in ...
. The interior has major frescoes by
Il Moretto
Alessandro Bonvicino (also Buonvicino) (possibly 22 December 1554), more commonly known as Moretto, or in Italian Il Moretto da Brescia (the Moor of Brescia), was an Italian Renaissance painter from Brescia, where he also mostly worked. His ...
. The high altarpiece is by
Giacomo Zoboli Giacomo is an Italian name. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob.
People
* Giacomo (name), including a list of people with the name
Other uses
* Giacomo (horse), a race horse, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby
* ''Giácomo'' (film) ...
(1735). The main attraction is the ''Ark of Sts Apollonius and
Filastrius
Philastrius (also Philaster or Filaster) Bishop of Brescia, was one of the bishops present at a synod held in Aquileia in 381. Augustine of Hippo met him at Milan about 383, or perhaps a little later (St. Augustine, ''Ep.'' ccxxii). He composed a c ...
'' (1510).
*
Broletto In Middle Age Communes in Italy, a broletto was the place where the whole population met for democratic assemblies, and where the elected men lived and administered justice.
''Broletto'' is an ancient Italian word, from medieval Latin "broilum, bro ...
: the 12th- and 13th-century Town Hall, now houses offices of both the commune and province. On the Piazza front is the balcony from where the medieval city officials spoke to the townsfolk; on the north side, rises a tall tower called "Tower of Pégol" or "Tower of the People" (the Lombard: ''Tòr del Pégol''), whose bells were once used to summon the citizens in moments of distress.
*Piazza della Vittoria, an example of Italian
Art Déco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
architecture. It was built between 1927 and 1932 by architect Marcello Piacentini through the demolition of part of the medieval old town and it has an L-shape. On the inside corner right there is the
Torrione INA
The Torrione INA (), also known as Torrione or Grattacielo, is a tall building in Brescia, Italy. Built between 1930 and 1932, it is the first skyscraper in Italy and also one of the first skyscrapers in Europe. It was designed by the Italian ar ...
, the first skyscraper built in Italy. In the north background there is the large ''Palazzo delle poste'' ("Post Office building"), with its ocher-white two-tone upholstery. The ''Torre della Rivoluzione'' ("Tower of the Revolution") and three other buildings, recalling the classical architecture, complete the square.
*Piazza del Foro: site of the Roman forum. In addition to the already mentioned ''Capitolium'', ''republican sanctuary'' and ''Roman theatre'', various other remains are visible in the area. Among these, on the south side of the square, are scanty remains of a building called the ''curia'', which may have been a basilica.
*Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco Novarino: mid-17th-century palace, now home to art exhibitions and an underground archaeological exhibit, depicting city's history from the early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
to the present day, concentrating in a single place 3,000 years of urban history of Brescia.
* Santa Maria dei Miracoli: (1488–1523) church with fine façade by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, decorated with bas-reliefs and a Renaissance ''
peristilium
In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=fou ...
''. It is considered a jewel of Renaissance sculpture in Lombardy.
* San Francesco: Romanesque-Gothic church and cloisters.
*Castle of Brescia: also known as ''Falcone d'Italia'' ("falcon of Italy"), locate atop Cidneo Hill at the northeast angle of the town. Built between the 13th and the 16th century and among the largest castles in Italy. Besides commanding a fine view of the city and a large part of the surrounding area, and being a local favorite recreational area, it hosts the Arms Museum, with a fine collection of weapons from the Middle Ages onwards; the Risorgimento Museum, dedicated to the Italian independence wars of the 19th century; an exhibition of model railroads; and an astronomical observatory.
* Santi Nazaro e Celso: church housing the
Averoldi Polyptych
The ''Averoldi Polyptych'', also known as the ''Averoldi Altarpiece'', is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Titian, dating to 1520–1522, in the basilica church of Santi Nazaro e Celso in Brescia, northern Italy.
It is signed "Tic ...
by
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italians, Italian (Republic of Venice, Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school (art), ...
.
* San Faustino e Giovita: church also known as ''San Faustino Maggiore''. The interior has a fresco depicting ''Apotheosis of Sts Faustino, Jovita, Benedict and Scholastica'' by
Giandomenico Tiepolo
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (August 30, 1727March 3, 1804) was an Italian painter and printmaker in etching. He was the son of artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and elder brother of Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo.
Life history
Domenico was born in ...
.
* Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie: basilica church built between the 16th and 17th centuries with Baroque frescoes and stucco, and a work of Il Moretto.
*
San Giuseppe San Giuseppe is the Italian name of Saint Joseph. It may refer to:
Places of Italy Municipalities
*San Giuseppe Jato, in the Province of Palermo, Sicily
*San Giuseppe Vesuviano, in the Province of Naples, Campania
*Rima San Giuseppe, in the Provinc ...
: 16th-century church houses frescoes and decoration including fourteen ''Stations of the Cross of St. Joseph'' (1713) by Giovanni Antonio Capello. The church houses the tombs of
Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò (20 May 154214 April 1609) is the name given to Gasparo Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and an expert double bass player. Around 80 of his instruments are known to have survived to the present day: violins (small ...
, one of the inventors of the modern violin and
Benedetto Marcello
Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher.
Life
Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and in his compositions he is f ...
, Baroque musician. Inside it, there is one of the oldest
organs
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a fu ...
in the world.
* San Clemente: church with paintings by Bonvicino.
* Torre della Pallata: massive tower built in 1254 as part of the medieval walls. In the 15th century, the clock, merlons, and turret added. The fountain on the western side was designed in 1597 by Bagnadore.
*San Giovanni: church with a refectory painted jointly by il Moretto and il Romanino.
* San Marco Evangelista: a small 13th-century Romanesque-style church.
*
San Mattia alle Grazie
San Mattia alle Grazie or San Mattia was a church dedicated to Saint Matthias on via delle Grazie in Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lomb ...
: a suppressed 13th-century former church.
*
Monumental Cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
: also known as ''Vantiniano'', is the largest cemetery in Brescia, designed around 1813 by
Rodolfo Vantini
Rodolfo Vantini (1792 – 1856) was an Italian architect. He is remembered for his Neoclassical contributions to architecture in his native city of Brescia and in the surrounding regions of northern Italy. His masterpiece is the design of Milan ...
. It is the first monumental cemetery built in Italy and at its centre stands the ''Lighthouse of Brescia'' (60 meters tall) which has inspired the architect
Heinrich Strack
Johann Heinrich Strack (6 July 1805, Bückeburg – 13 June 1880, Berlin) was a German architect of the '' Schinkelschule''. His notable works include the Berlin Victory Column.
Life and work
His father, , was a painter of portraits and vedut ...
Teatro Grande
The Teatro Grande is the main performance venue for the city of Brescia, Italy. The venue hosts performances of operas, musicals, plays, concerts, ballet, modern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance whic ...
:
opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets.
While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...
renovated several times between the mid-17th and mid-19th century. The name ''Grande'' ("Big") is derived from the former name ''Il Grande'' ("The Great") in honour of
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is richly decorated and has five galleries. Since 1912, the theatre is a
national monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
.
*Biblioteca Queriniana, containing rare early manuscripts, including the
Codex Brixianus
The Codex Brixianus (Brescia, Biblioteca Civica Queriniana, s.n.), designated by f, is a 6th-century Latin Gospel Book which was probably produced in Italy.
Description
The manuscript contains 419 folios. The text, written on purple dyed vellum ...
, a 14th-century manuscript of
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
, and some rare
incunabula
In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pro ...
.
The city has no fewer than seventy-two public fountains. The stone quarries of
Botticino
Botticino (Brescian: ) is a town and ''comune'' (commune or municipality) in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. The ''comune'' was created in 1928 by the union of the former ''comuni'' of Botticino Mattina and Botticino Sera which today, ...
The most important museums of Brescia are the following:
* Museo di Santa Giulia ("Santa Giulia Museum"): it is the city Museum, situated in the monastic complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia, which has a rich Roman section. One of the masterpieces is the bronze statue of a winged Victory, originally probably a Venus, converted in antiquity into the Victory by adding the wings; it is said to be in the act of writing the winner's name on her shield (now lost). Also very interesting, one of the very few places in the world where the remains of two Roman domus can be visited on their original site simply by strolling into one of the museum halls.
*
Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo
The Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo is a public art museum in Brescia, Lombardy.
Established in 1851, the museum exhibits mainly paintings by local artists dated from the Thirteenth through the Eighteenth century. The museum's current collection in ...
, the municipal art gallery; it hosts works of the painters of the Renaissance Brescian school,
Girolamo Romanino
Girolamo Romani, known as Romanino (c. 1485 - c. 1566), was an Italian High Renaissance painter active in the Veneto and Lombardy, near Brescia. His long career brought forth several different styles.
Biography
Romani was born in Brescia. H ...
, Alessandro Bonvicino and Giovanni Battista Moroni. After an extensive remodeling the museum reopened in 2018 with a refreshed interior showcasing the art hung on contemporary fabric covered walls.
* Museo della Mille Miglia ("Mille Miglia Museum"). Situated inside the former Monastery of S. Eufemia, the museum celebrates the history of the 1,000-mile car race from Brescia to Rome and back that began in 1927. It shows films, memorabilia, dresses, posters, and a number of classic cars that are periodically replaced by other in case of participation in events.
* Museo Diocesano di Brescia ( "Diocesan Museum of Brescia"). It is located in the former Monastery of St. Joseph and houses a permanent collection of sacred artworks, including paintings,
illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...
s, as well as one of the most extensive collections of
vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...
s in Italy.
* Museo Nazionale della fotografia ("National Museum of Photography"). It hosts a collection of photographic and cinematographic machines, along with various camera accessories and a photo library with about 60,000 photographs.
* Museo delle Armi "Luigi Marzoli" (""Luigi Marzoli" Arms Museum"). Located in the Castle, it is one of the most important European collections of old armour and weaponry. It hosts about 600 pieces of armour, weapons and firearms from the 15th to the 19th century.
* Museo degli strumenti musicali e della liuteria bresciana ("Museum of the Musical Instruments and Brescian lutherie"). It hosts string and wind instruments, as well as a rich collection of
choirbook
A choirbook is a large format manuscript used by choirs in churches or cathedrals during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The book is large enough for the entire choir to read from one book. Choirbooks were generally put on a stand with the smaller ...
s and musical scores.
* Collezione Paolo VI – arte contemporanea ("Paul VI Collection – Contemporary Art"). It is located in Concesio, on the northern outskirts of Brescia, and hosts the contemporary art collection of
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
, composed of about 7,000 works of many famous artists, including
Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...
,
Chagall
Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...
,
Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
, Dalí and others. It was opened on November 8, 2009, inaugurated by
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
.
Besides these, there are other museums in Brescia:
* Museo del Risorgimento ("Risorgimento Museum")
* Ma.Co.f. – Centro della fotografia italiana ("Centre of Italian photography")
* Museo del Ferro - Museo dell'Industria e del Lavoro ("Museum of Industry and Labour")
* The Beatles Museum
* Museo Ken Damy della Fotografia contemporanea
* AmbienteParco - Museo dell'Acqua ("Water Museum")
* Museo di Scienze Naturali ("Natural Science Museum")
* Museo Piamarta - Istituto Artigianeli
* Casa Museo Paolo VI di Concesio
Parks
Due to its location in the foothills of the Alps, Brescia has forests close to the city centre. About 80% of its municipal territory is covered by woodlands and farmlands: total amount of public green space is , or per inhabitant, while agricultural zones cover an area of .
The largest park of Brescia is ''Parco delle Colline di Brescia'' ("Brescia Hills Park") that has a total surface of , of which fall within the city limits. The park was established in 2000 with the purpose of preserving, safeguarding, and enhancing the natural heritage of the hills surrounding Brescia. Woods cover about 70% of the surface of the park; the rest consists of meadows, vineyard and olive plantations. The most common plants in the park are
hop-hornbeam
''Ostrya'' is a genus of eight to 10 small deciduous trees belonging to the birch family Betulaceae. Common names include hop-hornbeam and hophornbeam. It may also be called ironwood, a name shared with a number of other plants.
The genus is nat ...
,
downy oak
''Quercus pubescens'', the downy oak or pubescent oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain (Pyrenees) east to the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is also fou ...
, sweet chestnut, manna ash, but there is also the presence of Mediterranean species such as
terebinth
''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus ''Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and s ...
,
tree heath
''Erica arborea'', the tree heath or tree heather, is a species of flowering plant (angiosperms) in the heather family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. It is also cultivated as an or ...
holm oak Holm oak may refer to:
* '' Quercus ilex'', tree native to South and Southeast Europe and parts of France
* '' Quercus rotundifolia'', tree native to the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa
* ''Quercus agrifolia
''Quercus agrifolia'', the Cal ...
. The fauna of the park includes foxes, European badgers, wild boars and other mammals, while the most common birds are European robin, robins, common blackbird, blackbirds, blackcaps and Eurasian wren, wrens.
In 2018 another public park known as ''Parco delle Cave'' was opened on the site of former sand quarries in the south of the city. After the full opening at the end of 2021, now the park covers a surface of 2 square kilometers.
Other parks are scattered throughout the city, such as ''Parco del Castello'' ("Castle Park"), ''Parco Tarello'', ''Parco Mazzolari'', ''Parco Ducos'' and ''Campo di Marte''.
Education
As 2019, in Brescia there are 51 primary schools, of which 42 public and 9 private. There are also 29 Secondary education in Italy, lower secondary schools, of which 21 public and 8 private.
Referring to Secondary education in Italy, upper secondary schools, in Brescia there are 53 schools, of which 20 are private and 33 are public. Amongst them there are 3 Liceo classico, classic lyceums and 13 Liceo scientifico, scientific lyceums.
Brescia has two universities:
* University of Brescia is a public university founded in 1982 and ranked among the Top 700 universities worldwide. It is divided into 4 faculties: Economics, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Surgery.
* Catholic University of Brescia, founded in 1968, is a satellite campus of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. It is divided into 6 faculties: Literature and Philosophy; Psychology; Education; Language Sciences and Foreign Literature; Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences; Political and Social Sciences.
Brescia is also home of two academies of fine art (''Libera Accademia di Belle Arti'' (LABA) and ''Accademia di Belle Arti SantaGiulia'') and a conservatory of music (''Conservatorio Luca Marenzio'').
Healthcare
Brescia is an important medical centre. The main hospital of the city is ''Spedali Civili di Brescia'', which has 2,180 beds and an employed staff of 6,175. It was founded in 1427 and is considered the second best hospital in Italy. Other hospitals are located in the city: ''Fondazione Poliambulanza'', ''Casa di Cura S. Camillo'', ''Istituto Clinico S. Anna'' and ''Istituto Clinico Città di Brescia''.
Economy
The city is at the centre of the third largest Italian industrial area. The local Confindustria, the AIB – Associazione Industriale Bresciana (Industrial Association of Brescia), was the first industry association founded in Italy in 1897. The Brescian companies are typically a small or medium-sized, often family-run, ranging from the food to the engineering industry.
Agriculture
The viticulture is the most important agricultural sector of the Brescian food system. The municipality of Brescia is part of the production areas of five different wines: a DOCG wine, i.e. the ''
Franciacorta
The territory of Franciacorta, from Latin "franchae curtes", which means "exempted from paying duties", is a section of the Province of Brescia in the Italian Region of Lombardy. Franciacorta is known for its wine production and includes world-f ...
'', three Denominazione di origine controllata, DOC wines (''Botticino'', ''Cellatica'' and ''Curtefranca'') and an Indicazione geografica tipica, IGT wine (''Ronchi di Brescia''). In addition, in its old town, along the northern slope of the Cidneo Hill, there is the largest urban vineyard in Europe, characterized by the cultivation of ''Invernenga'', a local white grape variety present in Brescia since Roman times.
Another very important sector is the production of olive oil, especially in the nearby area of Lake Garda. The European Union has recorded as Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union, PDO two typologies of extra virgin olive oils and they are ''Garda'' and ''Laghi lombardi''.
Brescia is also the homeland of Italian caviar. In Calvisano, about south of the city centre, is located the world's largest sturgeons farm that produces annually 25 tonnes of caviar exported all over the world.
Industry and services
The main industrial activities of Brescia are those mechanical, specialized in the production and distribution of machine tools. Also important is the production of motor vehicle, represented by the Officine Meccaniche, OM, which is the manufacturer of Iveco trucks, and the production of weapons, among which the Fausti, Beretta, Fabarm and Perazzi. ''Fausti has been manufacturing hunting and competition shotguns since 1948 with great care and passion, and century-old traditions with modern technological advances. The company, founded by Cavalier Stefano Fausti, is now run by his three daughters Elena, Giovanna and Barbara.'' Very important is the metallurgical industry. On the outskirts of town, there are two steel mills: the "Alfa Acciai" and "Ori Martin". Other crucial industrial activities are the production of cutlery and faucets, along with the textile, footwear and clothing, as well as the production of building materials and bricks. The intense industrial development has resulted in a high level of pollution in the outskirts of the city located near the disused chemical factory "Caffaro" that produced PCB. For this reason, this part of the city is in the list of SIN – Siti di Interesse Nazionale (Sites of National Interest).
Brescia hosts the headquarters of several industry groups, including the Lucchini Group, the Feralpi and the Camozzi Group. Brescia is also home to the
A2A
A2A S.p.A. is an Italian company, organised as a ''società per azioni'', that generates, distributes, and markets renewable energy, electricity, gas, integrated water supply, and waste management services. The company has significant presence in ...
Group (the result of the merger of ASM Brescia, AEM Milano and AMSA).
The financial sector is also a major employer, with the presence of several branches of banks and financial assets. The UBI Banca Group, fourth largest banking group in Italy, has several division headquarters in the city.
Tourism
The significant historical and artistic heritage of Brescia (since 2011 in the UNESCO World Heritage list) and the natural beauties of its surrounding area (like the
Lake Garda
Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label=Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy.
It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...
, the Val Camonica and the Lake Iseo) have allowed the city to attract an increasing number of visitors. In 10 years, the number of tourists who visited Brescia has almost doubled from 142,556 in 2003 to over 280,000 in 2013.
Additionally, Brescia is close to important tourist destinations (
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
can be directly reached in 45 minutes by train, Venice and Florence in about 2 hours) and is one of the cheapest cities in Italy in terms of hotel stays. For these reasons, tourists often use Brescia as a base to explore the surrounding places.
Transport
Brescia Mobilità (BM) is the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in Brescia; it operates one metro line (Brescia Metro) and 19 urban bus lines. Besides public transport, BM manages the interchange parking lots and other transportation services including bike sharing and carsharing systems.
Since 2004 in the city center of Brescia is active a traffic restricted zone or ZTL ( it, Zona a Traffico Limitato). The objective of the ZTL, together with a program of pedestrianizations of the main squares and streets of the historical center, is to drastically reduce the chronic traffic jams that take place in the city of Brescia, promoting sustainable mobility and public transport, and decreasing the existing levels of smog that have become unsustainable from the point of view of public health.
Brescia Metro
The Brescia Metro is a rapid transit network that opened on 2 March 2013. The network comprises one line, long, with 17 stations between ''Buffalora'' and ''Prealpino'', of which 13 are underground.
The first projects for a metro in Brescia date back to the 1980s, with the introduction of the first fully automatic light metro systems in other mid-size cities in Europe.
Two feasibility studies were commissioned in 1987. The automatic light metro system was chosen as the best technology for the city. The first public tender was announced in 1989. But this project was then cancelled in 1996.
In 1994, the first application for public financing was issued. The public financing form the central government arrived in 1995, while other funds arrived in 2002 from the Lombardy, Region.
The international public bid for the first phase of the project was announced in 2000. The winning proposal was from a group of companies comprising Ansaldo STS, AnsaldoBreda, Astaldi and Acciona, with a system similar to that of the Copenhagen metro.
A€575 million contract was awarded to a consortium led by Ansaldo STS in April 2003. Work started in January 2004, but archaeological finds caused delays and required station redesigns.
Planned tram network
The city is due to reintroduce trams after dismantling its former network in the 1940s. Two light rail lines are due to open in 2027. Brescia's historic seven-line tram network opened in 1882 and closed in 1949, when the city's transport focus moved onto road-based transport. In 2018, transport authority Brescia Mobilità and Italian state railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane signed an agreement for the construction of two tram lines in Brescia. One line would run from Pendolina in the northwest to the new Pala Eib sports centre in the southwest, mostly following the line of current bus route 2. The second route would connect Via Vallecamonica in the west and Viale Bornata in the east.
Rail
Brescia has three railway stations. The Brescia railway station, main station, which opened in 1854, is located on the Milan-Venice railway and is the starting point for the Brescia–Iseo–Edolo railway, Brescia-Iseo-Edolo, Brescia–Cremona railway, Brescia-Cremona, Brescia–Parma railway, Brescia-Parma and Bergamo–Brescia railway, Bergamo–Brescia rail lines. The station has 15 platforms and is used by about 20 million passengers per year. Other railway stations are ''Borgo San Giovanni'' (a lesser station that is located on the Brescia-Iseo-Edolo railway) and ''Brescia Scalo'', with no passenger service and used as a freight station.
From Brescia, high speed trains connect to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Rome, Naples, Turin, Bologna, Florence and Venice; one can reach Milan in 35 min, Venice in 1h and 35 min, Florence in 2 hours and 15 min and Rome in 3 hours and 35 min. In addition there are international day trains to Zurich, and overnight sleeper services to Paris and Dijon (Thello), Munich and Vienna (ÖBB).
Roads
Brescia is connected with the rest of Northern Italy by three motorways:
* Autostrada A4 (Italy), A4, that is the main axis connecting the city with the east and the west of the country, to cities such as Milan, Turin, Venice and Trieste;
* Autostrada A21 (Italy), A21, which connects Brescia to Turin with a more southern route than A4;
* A35, which connects Brescia to Milan and the Linate Airport with a faster route than A4.
Airports
Brescia is served by the following airports:
* Brescia Airport, located south-east of the city
* Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, located north-west of Brescia
* Verona Villafranca Airport, located south-east of Brescia
* Milan Linate Airport, located west of Brescia
* Malpensa Airport, located north-west of Brescia
Pollution
Brescia is at the top of the ranking of European cities with the highest preventable mortality burdens for PM2.5 pollution in a new study published in January 2021 by The Lancet Planetary Health, which estimates the death rate associated with fine Particulates, particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in 1000 European cities.
Legambiente based on the number of days the legal air-quality limits were breached in 2018. The report said Brescia failed to respect the legal limits for 150 days last year, 103 for ozone and 47 for Pm10 particles.
Sports
Brescia was the starting and end point of the historical car race
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
that took place annually in May until 1957 on a Brescia-Rome-Brescia itinerary, and also the now defunct Coppa Florio, one of the first ever sport motor races.
The Mille Miglia tradition is now kept alive by the "Historic Mille Miglia", a world-class event that gathers in Brescia every year thousands of fans of motor sports and of vintage sports cars. The only cars admitted to the race are the ones that could have competed in (although they do not necessarily have to have taken part in) the original Mille Miglia. The race nowadays is not however a speed race anymore, but rather a "regularity" race; speed races have actually been banned on regular roads in Italy because of the deadly accident that killed a driver and ten bystanders in the last minutes of the 1957 Mille Miglia – that therefore became the last of the original races. In recent years, many celebrities have participated in the Mille Miglia, including Rowan Atkinson, Daniel Day Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Jay Leno, Brian Johnson, Elliot Gleave, David Gandy, Jodie Kidd, Yasmin Le Bon and others.
Brescia is also the home of the Brescia Calcio football club and the Rugby Leonessa 1928.
Since 1984, the Schermabrescia fencing club is active. Brescia born foil-fencer Andrea Cassarà won the gold medal at the 2011 World Fencing Championships.
Brescia is the home of the Basket Brescia Leonessa basketball club. Leonessa has its home arena in the new PalaLeonessa, inaugurated in 2018, with a capacity of 5,200.
People
* Marcus Nonius Macrinus (fl.152–71), Roman general and consul to Emperor Marcus Aurelius
*
Rothari
Rothari (or Rothair) ( 606 – 652), of the Harodingi, house of Arodus, was king of the Lombards from 636 to 652; previously he had been duke of Brescia. He succeeded Arioald, who was an Arianism, Arian like himself, and was one of the most energe ...
or Rotari (–652), King of the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...
*
Rodoald
Rodoald (or ''Rodwald''), ( 630 – 653) was a Lombard king of Italy, who succeeded his father Rothari on the throne in 652. He was said to be lecherous and he was assassinated after a reign of just six months in 653 by the husband of one of his l ...
or Rodoaldo (–653), King of the Lombards
* Desiderius (before 756–), King of the Lombards
* Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor (825–875), Frankish emperor and King of Italy
*
Arnold of Brescia
Arnold of Brescia ( 1090 – June 1155), also known as Arnaldus ( it, Arnaldo da Brescia), an Italian canon regular from Lombardy, called on the Church to renounce property-ownership and participated in the failed Commune of Rome of 1144 ...
(1090–1155), dissident monk
* Albertanus of Brescia (1195–1251), Latin author
* Vincenzo Capirola (1474–after 1548), composer
* Vincenzo Foppa (–), painter
* Laura Cereta (1469–1499), humanist author
* Saint Angela Merici (1474–1540), founded the Order of Ursulines in Brescia in 1535
* Girolamo Savoldo (–after 1548), painter
* Veronica Gambara (1485–1550), poet and stateswoman
* Girolamo Romani, also known as "Romanino" (–), painter
* :it:Bartolomeo Beretta, Bartolomeo Beretta (1490–1565), gunsmith and founder of the Beretta firearm company
* Alessandro Bonvicino/Buonvicino, commonly known as "Moretto/Il Morretto da Brescia" (–1554), painter
* Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia (1499–1557), mathematician
* Juan Pablos, Giovanni Paoli (–1560/1), brought the printing press to the New World in Mexico City
*
Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò (20 May 154214 April 1609) is the name given to Gasparo Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and an expert double bass player. Around 80 of his instruments are known to have survived to the present day: violins (small ...
, (1540–1609), pioneer of violin making
* Giuliano Paratico (–), musician & composer
* Luca Marenzio/Marentio (1553/4–1599), composer
* Benedetto Castelli (1578–1643), mathematician and expert in hydraulics
* Giulio Alenio (1582–1649), Jesuit missionary called the "Confucius from the West"
* Giovanni Battista Fontana (composer), Giovanni Battista Fontana (1589–1630), composer
* Biagio Marini (1594–1663), composer
* Dionisio Boldo (fl.1604), painter
* Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), aeronautics and braille pioneer
* Carlo Bacchiocco, 17th-century painter with work in Brescia
* Paris Francesco Alghisi (1666–1733), composer
* Giovanni Bassignani (1669–1717), architect & engineer
* Pietro Gnocchi (1689–1775), eccentric polymath and composer
* Gaetano Crivelli (1768–1836), opera singer
* Giacomo Rossetti (1807–1882), painter and photographer
* Saint Maria Crocifissa di Rosa (1813–1855), who founded the Handmaids of Charity order of nuns in Brescia in 1840
* Enrico Crivelli (1820–1870), opera singer and son of Gaetano Crivelli
* Giuseppe Zanardelli (1826–1903), jurist, politician, prime minister of the Kingdom of Italy (1901–1903)
* Saint Giovanni Battista Piamarta (1841–1913), priest and educator, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth
* Camillo Golgi, (1843–1926), experimental pathologist, received Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 for his studies of the structure of the nervous system
*
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
(1897–1978), born nearby in Concesio as Giovanni Battista Montini
* Guglielmo Achille Cavellini (1914–1990), art collector and artist
* Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920–1995), pianist of the 20th century
* Remo Bertoni (footballer), Remo Bertoni (born 1929), football player
*Emanuele Severino (1929–2020), philosopher and composer
* Giacomo Agostini (born 1942), Grand Prix motorcycle racer and World Champion 1964–1977
* Carlo Giannini (born 1948), econometrician and mathematical economist
* Maurizio Venturi (born 1957), football player and manager
* Giuseppe Baresi (born 1958), football player
* Franco Baresi (born 1960), football player
* Sergio Scariolo (born 1961), basketball coach
* Vittorio Colao (born 1961), businessman
* Riccardo Frizza (born 1971), conductor
* Manuel Belleri (born 1977), football player
* Marco Cassetti (born 1977), football player
* Andrea Pirlo (born 1979), football player
* Daniele Bonera (born 1981), football player
* L'Aura (born 1984), singer-songwriter
* Andrea Cassarà (born 1984), world champion fencer
* Nino Bertasio (born 1988), professional golfer
* Federico Colli (born 1988), classical pianist
* Vanessa Ferrari (born 1990), gymnast
* VINAI (born 1990/1994), DJs and EDM producers
* Marcell Jacobs (born 1994), athlete
* Davide Calabria (born 1996), football player
* Vittoria Ceretti (born 1998), model
* Blanco (singer), Riccardo "Blanco" Fabbriconi (born 2003), singer and rapper, Italian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022
International relations
In Brazil there is a town called Nova Bréscia. This name was given by its first citizens, who were from Brescia.
Twin towns – sister cities
Brescia is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
* Darmstadt, Germany (1991)
* Logroño, Spain (2006)
* Bethlehem, Palestine (2007)
* Troyes, France (2016)
* Kaunas, Lithuania (2022)
Consulates
Brescia is home to the following Consul (representative)#Consulates and embassies, consulates:
*
*
*
*
*
Gallery
File:Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie interno Brescia.jpg, Interior view of the Santa Maria delle Grazie, Brescia, ''Santa Maria delle Grazie'' church
File:Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie interno Brescia.jpg, Internal view of the ''Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie'' church
File:Santo Corpo di Cristo church interior anteporta Brescia.jpg, Internal view of the ''Santissimo Corpo di Cristo'' church
File:San Barnaba facciata Brescia.jpg, Former ''San Barnaba'' church
File:Chiesa di San Faustino in Riposo esterno est Brescia.jpg, ''San Faustino in Riposo'' church
File:Chiesa di San Marco Evangelista facciata Brescia.jpg, ''San Marco Evangelista'' church
File:Tomba del cane lato Nord Brescia.jpg, Bonomini Tomb also known as the Dog's Tomb
File:Palazzo Maggi-Gambara al Fontanone Brescia.jpg, Maggi-Gambara Palace
File:Palazzo Bertolotti Brescia.jpg, Bertolotti Palace
File:Palazzo Beretta in Piazza del Mercato Brescia.jpg, Beretta Palace
File:Palazzo Martinengo Palatini in Piazza Mercato Brescia 2020.jpg, Martinengo Palace
File:Duomo vecchio e duomo nuovo notturna Brescia.jpg, ''Piazza Duomo'' by night
File:Brescia Castello fortificazioni ingresso 500esco.jpg, The Castle's main entrance
File:Brescia, Province of Brescia, Italy - panoramio (8).jpg, Street in the old city center
File:Brescia, Province of Brescia, Italy - panoramio (62).jpg, Roman ruins
File:Teatro Romano da est Brescia.jpg, Roman Theatre section
File:Corso Zanardelli e Teatro Grande Brescia.jpg, ''Corso Zanardelli'' and ''Teatro Grande'' main entrance
File:Palazzo Bruni Conter monumento Tartaglia in Brescia.jpg, Bruni Conter Palace and Niccolò Tartaglia statue
File:Torre d'Ercole facciata sud Brescia.jpg, ''Torre d'Ercole''
File:Brescia Via Barricate & Duomo nuovo.jpg, Steps in the old town
File:Brescia Via X Giornate Arkaden 7.jpg, Arcades
Fountains
For many years Brescia has been considered a "city of water" due to the presence of many canals and natural waterways, as the French author Paul de Musset (1804–1880) once wrote: "The wide streets and numerous fountains give it an air of a big city. Water gushes in the squares and circulates in private homes almost as abundantly as in Rome".
File:Brescia, Province of Brescia, Italy - panoramio (91).jpg, Medieval fountain
File:Brescia, Province of Brescia, Italy - panoramio (60).jpg, Tagliaferri fountain
File:Neptune fountain Palazzo Bruni Conter Brescia.jpg, Neptune fountain
File:Brescia statua di Minerva del Cignaroli in piazza Duomo.jpg, Minerva fountain
File:Fontana della Pallata Brescia.jpg, Pallata fountain
File:Fontana in piazza Paolo VI Brescia armata Callegari.jpg, Armed Brescia fountain
File:2017-03 Brescia Mattes Pana (52).JPG, Private fountain
File:Brescia via Musei fontana.jpg, Private fountain
File:Brescia fontana del Vescovado.jpg, Vescovado fountain
Cultural references
Astronomy
The 521 Brixia planetoid is named after the city.
Music
The debut album of Russian post-punk command "Сукины сыны" bears the name "Из Брешии в Брешию" ("From Brescia into Brescia"
Catholic University of Brescia
{{Authority control
Brescia,
Castles in Italy
Cities and towns in Lombardy
World Heritage Sites in Italy
Domini di Terraferma
Territories of the Republic of Venice
Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC