PLEASE NOTE! This guided tour DOES NOT include transportation services. The meeting point is directly in Brescia.

The guided tour of Brescia will take you on a journey through one of the most fascinating cities in Northern Italy, following an artistic path that spans millennia. From Roman temples and Lombard remains to Renaissance frescoes, poetic views, and imposing churches, this tour is sure to amaze even those already familiar with the city.

Brescia, nicknamed “The Lioness of Italy” for its ten-day resistance against the Austrians during the Italian Risorgimento, has a millenary history. Founded 3200 years ago, it was the capital of the Cenomani Gauls and later a Roman colony named Brixia. Evidence of this glorious past is found in its historic center, home to some of its most famous monuments.

Our itinerary to discover the treasures of Brescia begins at the monastic-Lombard complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia, a site rich in historical memories layered over centuries. Together with the monumental area of the Roman Forum, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The female Benedictine monastery was established by the last Lombard king, Desiderius, in 753 on an area already occupied by significant Roman Domus. The complex includes the Lombard basilica of San Salvatore and its crypt, the stunning church of Santa Maria in Solario, the Nuns’ Choir, the 16th-century church of Santa Giulia, and the cloisters.

After free lunch, the visit continues at the Archaeological Park where we will see the Capitolium, a Roman temple located in Piazza del Foro, the core of ancient Roman Brixia. Along with the theater and remains of the city forum, it constitutes the most important complex of ruins and remains of public buildings from the Roman era in Northern Italy. Another remarkable stop at the Archaeological Park will be the extraordinary Republican Sanctuary, dating to the first decades of the 1st century B.C., a true unique feature in the archaeological panorama of Northern Italy. Its pictorial decoration is characterized by high technical and formal quality and an excellent state of preservation.

Next, we will proceed to Piazza Duomo, the true heart of Brescia, where the Broletto Palace, the oldest public building in the city and the seat of civic magistrates in the communal era, faces the two cathedrals: the New Cathedral and the Old Cathedral. The latter, also known as the Rotonda, was built starting in the 11th century on the site of a previous basilica and is a rare and notable example of a medieval circular stone building. A few steps away, we will admire the imposing Botticino stone facade of the New Cathedral, built between 1604 and 1825. The lengthy construction period, spanning about 230 years, produced an unusual result. We will then walk to Piazza della Loggia, featuring the beautiful Renaissance Loggia, now the seat of the Brescia city council, several fine 16th-century Venetian-style palaces, and the porticos topped by the “Clock Tower,” as well as significant 20th-century buildings.

We will have crossed over 3000 years of history and discovered details and beauties that, just a few kilometers from Milan, continue to evoke great emotion even for Lombards themselves!