Holiday ideas: a weekend in Brescia

Have you chosen to spend a weekend in Brescia? Here is an idea for a two-day tour of the city and its most important monuments. 

Day 1

Tour of the squares

To start your weekend getaway, we recommend a stroll in the old city centre to see the main squares and most significant monuments. The ideal starting point is Piazza Vittoria: located in the heart of the city, it has an underground car park and a metro station. 

After admiring the square’s Neoclassical buildings dating back to the Fascist era, head to Piazza Loggia, named after the impressive Palazzo Loggia.

The current seat of the Municipal Council, Palazzo Loggia is a Renaissance-style building built mostly of Botticino marble, a renowned local stone, also used in famous sites around the world, including the Altare della Patria in Rome, the White House in Washington, DC, and the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Opposite Palazzo Loggia, the Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower) is another symbol of Brescia’s artistic heritage.

The square is also an open air epigraphic museum: on the southern side stands the old Monte di Pietà (literally ‘Mount of Piety’, a kind of institutional pawn broker), whose main façade is decorated with several Roman inscriptions. After admiring the monument to Bella Italia, continue on to Piazza Paolo VI along Vicolo Beccaria, the most romantic of the city centre’s little streets.

Brescia is the only Italian city with two cathedrals in the same square. Built in two different eras, they stand side by side and are clearly identifiable by their distinct architectural styles.

Duomo Vecchio, also known as La Rotonda, dates back to the 11th century; Duomo Nuovo, built between 1600 and 1800, is the mother church of the Brescian Diocese. Near the two churches stands Torre del Pegol, a tower that forms part of Palazzo Broletto.

Today the offices of the provincial government, Palazzo Broletto was once home to an orchard and garden, called brolo, from which the modern name derives.

Markets and shops in Brescia

Saturday in Brescia is market day, when the old city centre is filled with stalls selling traditional products and crafts.

If you are interested in doing some shopping in Brescia, the city centre is a treasure trove of antique shops, haute-couture boutiques, book stores and unmissable local crafts.

For information on shops, opening hours, roads and transport, go to Bresciapp!, where you can find lots of ideas for enjoying the city and all it has to offer!

Gourmet lunch

For lunch, pick one of the traditional restaurants in the old centre to enjoy one of the many typical Brescian dishes. Brescia boasts the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2017 for the quality of its extensive food&wine offering.

Tour of the UNESCO sites

The Monastic Complex of San Salvatore and Santa Giulia is certainly worth a visit: it is home to the City Museum and in 2011 was recognized by UNESCO as one of the most important Lombard monumental sites in Italy. The museum displays span several centuries, from the Domus dell’Ortaglia to the Basilica of San Salvatore. The ancient heritage includes frescoes, armour, jewellery and the famous Cross of Desiderius that belonged to the Lombard king, with the museum also hosting temporary exhibitions by international artists.

The UNESCO site Longobards in Italy. Places of Power (568-774 A.D.) also includes the Archaeological Park of Roman Brescia (Brixia), which includes the Capitolium, the Roman Theatre, the Republican Sanctuary and a Basilica, making it the largest Roman archaeological area in northern Italy.

The site is in Piazza del Foro, once the commercial heart of the city. In November 2020, following two years’ restoration at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, the Winged Victory, the bronze statue symbol of Brescia, was returned to the Capitolium, where it was originally found, in a new display created by Spanish architect Juan Navarro Baldeweg. 

We also recommend a tour of Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco, a noble mansion overlooking Piazza del Foro, which every year hosts exclusive temporary exhibitions of internationally renowned artists. It also offers an underground archaeological tour and an immersive multimedia display, the Brixia Light Box.

Brescian aperitif and nightlife

At the end of a day sightseeing, take a break to enjoy a Pirlo, Brescia’s signature aperitif, which was praised by the New York Times as the ‘coolest aperitif ever!’

Wondering what to do in Brescia after dark? Brescians love to have fun on Saturday night and there are numerous nightlife spots around the city.

You can end your day with a grand gala evening at the main city theatre: opera, ballet, concerts, dance, and more can be enjoyed at the Teatro Grande di Brescia.

However, Brescia is full of surprises: the city centre also boasts another charming venue, the Teatro Sociale, a popular fixture for fans of classic and contemporary dramatic productions.

Day 2

Brescia Castle: a panoramic view of the city

In the morning, walk up to the top of Cidneo hill, from where Brescia Castle overlooks the whole city. It is an old medieval fortress which today is home to several cultural attractions and also offers breathtaking views over the city of art.

The castle also houses an astronomical observatory, the new ‘Leonessa d’Italia’ Risorgimento Museum and the Luigi Marzoli Arms Museum, one of the biggest collections of ancient weapons and armour in Europe. On the slopes below the castle, there is Vigneto Pusterla, the oldest and largest urban vineyard in Europe.

Traditional lunch

For lunch, try a local trattoria in the old city centre or the ancient Carmine district and enjoy one of the many typical Brescian dishes.

Churches in Brescia

Spend the afternoon visiting some of Brescia’s churches, such as San Giovanni Evangelista, San Francesco, and Santi Nazaro e Celso – all true treasure troves. You can combine the church tour with a stop at the Diocesan Museum in the cloister of the Monastery of San Giuseppe, a short walk from Piazza Loggia.

Unmissable experiences and attractions

Photography enthusiasts should not miss the National Photography Museum and the Ma.co.f, Italian Centre of Photography.

For the more adventurous among you, there is Brescia Underground, with guided tours of the city’s hidden depths to discover ancient rivers, underground canals and streams running right beneath our feet.

Around Brescia

Here are some places of interest near the city centre:

• Museo Mille Miglia, the museum dedicated to the most beautiful race in the world (museomillemiglia.it)
• Fondazione Pinac, an international dynamic museum which collects, studies, and promotes artistic expression among children (pinac.it)
• MusIL – Museum of Industry and Labour of Brescia (musilbrescia.it)