Brescia: the must

City of art, history and culture, Brescia, the “lioness of Italy”, as Carducci defined it, although not three of the best-known tourist destinations, has a lot to offer visitors. Particularly involved in spreading the wealth of its artistic heritage, as evidenced by its participation in the edition of MuseoCity 2022, the Lombard city has numerous and important museums, which offer the opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the Brescia area and to understand its interest. , more and more massive, towards the world of art. We have selected some of the most interesting exhibition spaces that are worth visiting during a stay in Brescia.

Museum of Santa Giulia: the most important in Brescia

If you don’t know what to do in Brescia and are looking for places of great interest, the advice is to absolutely visit the Museum of Santa Giulia, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Located along the ancient decumanus maximus of the Roman Brixia and housed in the monastery of the same name from the Lombard period, the museum is the most important in Brescia and unique in Italy and in Europe for its exhibition concept and location. Inside, the visitor is guided on a journey through the history, art and spirituality of the city from the prehistoric age to the present day. The collection consists of thousands of objects and works of art ranging from the Bronze Age to the nineteenth century, mainly coming from the city context and the province. Every year many visitors go to Brescia for a tour of the museums belonging to the Brescia Museums Foundation and, in particular, in the Museum of Santa Giulia to admire the Winged Victory, the Cross of Desiderius and the Lipsanoteca. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 and the cost of the full ticket is 10 €.

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Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo: a precious art collection

The Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo was born from the will of the collector Paolo Tosio to set up a real House Museum in his home (Palazzo Tosio), designed by the architect Rodolfo Fantini. On the death of Tosio, his collection and his property are donated to the community, giving life to the art gallery. Today, inside the gallery it is possible to admire several paintings of Italian sixteenth-century painting, including masterpieces such as the Angel and the Redeemer by Raphael and the Adoration of the shepherds by Lorenzo Lotto, numerous works of Renaissance Brescia painting, important canvases by Giacomo Ceruti, the artist known for his depiction of scenes from everyday life, populated by figures of the poor, and works by Canova and Hayez. The art gallery is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, by purchasing the entrance ticket at the full price of € 8.

Arms Museum: one of the most valuable collections in Europe

Located inside the Visconti Keep of the Brescia Castle, the Luigi Marzoli Arms Museum is the result of the legacy of the entrepreneur Luigi Marzoli to the Lombard city of his private collection of ancient weapons. On display, set up by Carlo Scarpa, there is one of the most valuable European collections of armor and ancient weapons, which tells the historical Brescian gunmaking tradition, through a museum itinerary that boasts over 700 pieces of different types (sidearms, defensive, from fire and artillery). Objects of particular interest are the sixteenth-century Brescia armor, especially the infantry corsets, and firearms with the famous Gardonese barrels, productions that, since the fifteenth century, have made Brescia internationally famous. The museum can be accessed from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 and the full entrance fee is € 5.

Museum of the Risorgimento: finds and documents from the Risorgimento

The Museum of the Risorgimento, located in the Great Mile of the Brescia Castle, is one of the most important in Italy. His collection, spread over two large exhibition halls, collects artifacts and documents, received from bequests, donations and purchases, which help to reconstruct the story of the Risorgimento era. The exhibition consists of flags, vintage weapons, coins, medals, paintings, ceramics, sculptures, letters, notices, transcripts of proclamations, and prints. Among the most famous paintings, there are the canvases of the Brescia painter Francesco Filippini and Faustino Joli, centered on the historic ten days of Brescia and on the symbolic characters of the Brescia Risorgimento. Currently the museum is awaiting a complete renovation but hosts temporary exhibitions with a Renaissance theme, which you can participate in by consulting the Brescia Museums siteon which it is possible to request information or make reservations.

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Engraving Gallery: graphics and photography

Inaugurated in 1972 as a branch of the homonymous gallery in Milan (and then detached in 1979) and still little known, the Galleria dell’Incisione in Brescia, has specialized in the field of Central European graphics between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with a more in-depth look at Austrian, German and Czechoslovakian area, offering works by artists such as Dix, Grosz, Hubbuch and Klinger since the early years. Since the 1980s, the gallery presents monographic and collective exhibitions, unpublished for the city, on Japanese woodcut, one of the inspiring sources of the artists of the European secessions. Currently, in addition to focusing on national and international contemporary artists, this exhibition space also features photographic exhibitions by world-renowned artists, including Steve McCurry and Vivian Maier. The gallery is open every day, except Mondays, from 17:00 to 20:00 and admission is free.

Brescia: the must-see museums in the Lombard city