Brescia - CHO

City · Comune · Lombardy, Italy

Brescia

Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy, in Italy, situated at the foot of the Alps a few kilometres from the lakes Garda and Iseo. With a population of more than 200,000, it is the second largest city in Lombardy behind Milan and the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia.

At a glance

Type: City and comune
Period: Ancient origins; modern provincial capital
Style: Historic Italian urban centre at the foot of the Alps
Location: Lombardy, northern Italy

Overview

Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometres from the lakes Garda and Iseo. With a population of 201,342, it is the second largest city in Lombardy behind Milan.

History

Brescia is the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia, one of the largest provinces in Italy with over 1.2 million inhabitants. The city grew into a major centre of northwestern Italy and is the northernmost Italian city among those with over 200,000 inhabitants. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits.

What you see

Brescia lies at the foot of the Alps, close to Lake Garda and Lake Iseo. The urban area has a population of about 672,822, while more than 1.5 million people live in its metropolitan area, reflecting a substantial and densely developed centre in Lombardy.

Cultural significance

As the fourth largest city in northwest Italy and the capital of an extensive province, Brescia is an important regional centre. Its position between the Alps and the northern Italian lakes gives it cultural and geographic significance within Lombardy.

Practical information

Brescia is the capital of the Province of Brescia in Lombardy. For opening hours of specific museums and monuments, check the official website.

Getting there

Brescia is well connected by road and rail within Lombardy, with links to Milan and the lakes Garda and Iseo. Local transport serves the city and its metropolitan area.

Sources & resources

See the place

Video from the Cultural Heritage Online archive

More photographs

Torre della Pallata in Brescia (1) — Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Palazzo Uggeri Fenaroli Via della Pace Brescia — Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message. This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media, if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Palazzo Broletto of Brescia with the Torre del Pegol and the dome of the Duomo Nuovo behind it — The Palazzo Broletto, the medieval town hall of Brescia, with its tower and the dome of the Duomo Nuovo behind. Photo: Fred Romero, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Three painted panels by Romanino showing the Birth, the Marriage and the Visitation of the Virgin, Duomo Nuovo, Brescia — The Birth, the Marriage and the Visitation of the Virgin, painted by Girolamo Romanino, in the Duomo Nuovo of Brescia. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Romanino panel of the Visitation from the organ of the Duomo Vecchio, Brescia — The Visitation, painted by Girolamo Romanino for the organ of the Duomo Vecchio of Brescia. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery

Duomo vecchio organo Visita a Elisabetta della Vergine di Romanino Brescia — This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photo…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Duomo nuovo Nascita Sposalizio Visita a Elisabetta della Vergine di Romanino Brescia — This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photo…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brescia - Palazzo Broletto (48748156981) — Fred Romero from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Historical events at this place (5)

Travel tips from CHO

Go on the first Sunday of the month

State museums, archaeological parks and monuments across Italy open free of charge on the first Sunday of every month. It covers state-run sites only — civic and private museums set their own prices — and there is nothing to claim: you simply walk in.

The ministry’s free days →

In September, the doors that are usually shut open

For one long weekend every September, some fifty European countries run the European Heritage Days together: palaces, workshops, archives and private houses that are closed the rest of the year let visitors in, almost always for nothing. Italy sets its own dates, and they are published a few weeks ahead.

Dates, country by country →

Arrive already connected

Maps, opening hours and tickets all need data, and roaming outside your own network still costs more than the ticket. A travel eSIM for Italy installs on your phone before you leave home and works the moment you land — no queue at the airport, no physical card to swap.

Data plans for Italy →Affiliate link — what this means

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