Brescia in 2 Days: UNESCO Roman Forum & Hidden Quarters

Why visit Brescia in 2 days

Brescia is the great underrated city among Italian art cities. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011 for its Lombard monastic complex and Roman archaeological park, it offers a density of monuments that surprises anyone expecting merely an industrial town. The Lioness of Italy deserves two days of slow exploration, among Roman ruins, Renaissance churches and a cuisine blending Lombard tradition with lake influences.

Day 1: the ancient soul and the Santa Giulia Museum

Morning (3-4 hours)

Start at the Brescia Romana Archaeological Park, the most important in northern Italy. The Capitolium (1st century AD) is the best-preserved Roman temple in northern Italy: the three cellae with their original marble floors are extraordinary. Beside it, the Roman Theatre (15,000 seats) is emerging from ongoing excavations.

Just behind the Capitolium, enter the Santa Giulia Museum, housed in the Lombard monastery of San Salvatore. It is Brescia's richest museum and one of the finest in Italy: the Winged Victory (1st-century Roman bronze), the Cross of Desiderius (Lombard goldwork) and the frescoes of San Salvatore church are worth the journey alone.

• Capitolium and archaeological area: 45 minutes
• Santa Giulia Museum: 2 hours (minimum)
• Monastery cloisters: 30 minutes

Afternoon (3 hours)

From the museum, walk up to the Castle of Brescia on Cidneo Hill (10-minute climb). The Visconti-Venetian fortress is one of the largest in Italy and houses the Luigi Marzoli Arms Museum. But the main reason to climb is the panorama: on clear days you can see Monte Rosa and Lake Garda.

Coming down, cross the Carmine quarter, the oldest and most working-class in Brescia, now regenerated with artisan shops and venues.

Hidden gem: the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi on Via San Francesco, with a 14th-century cloister where time seems to have stopped. Very few tourists visit it.

Evening

Dinner in Contrada del Carmine or Via Musei. Try Brescia-style casoncelli (different from Bergamo's, with meat filling and melted butter), spiedo bresciano or polenta taragna with valley cheeses.

Day 2: piazzas, Renaissance and surprising outskirts

Morning (3 hours)

Explore Brescia's monumental squares. Piazza della Loggia, designed in Venetian style with Sansovino's loggia and an astronomical clock, is one of Italy's most elegant Renaissance squares. Piazza Paolo VI sets the Duomo Vecchio (the Rotonda, 12th century, unique circular Romanesque) alongside the Duomo Nuovo (Baroque, Italy's third-tallest dome) and the medieval Broletto.

Visit the Duomo Vecchio: the Romanesque crypt with remains of the early Christian basilica and Bishop Berardo's sarcophagus are moving.

• Piazza della Loggia: 30 minutes
• Piazza Paolo VI, Duomo Vecchio and Duomo Nuovo: 1 hour
• Tosio Martinengo Art Gallery: 1 hour

Afternoon (3 hours)

Visit the Tosio Martinengo Art Gallery, reopened after extensive restoration. Masterpieces by Raphael (Angel and Christ the Redeemer), Foppa, Romanino and Moretto tell the story of the Lombard Renaissance like no other museum.

Then stroll along Via dei Musei and Corso Zanardelli, the city's elegant promenade, to the Teatro Grande, one of Italy's most important opera houses.

Hidden gem: the San Faustino quarter, beyond Corso Mameli, preserves medieval tower-houses and hidden courtyards. The Church of Saints Faustino and Giovita, with its Lombard crypt, is an unknown treasure.

Evening

Final evening in the San Faustino or Carmine quarter. A glass of Franciacorta (the wineries are 20 minutes away) is the perfect way to close your trip to the Lioness of Italy.

Practical tips

Brescia is walkable: the historic centre is compact. The Brescia Card covers the main museums. The light metro connects the station to the centre in 5 minutes. For Lake Garda or Franciacorta you would each need an extra half day.

• Where to stay in Brescia
• Where to eat in Brescia
• How to get to Brescia