Best things to do in Brescia

Brescia Highlights

Brescia showcases over two millennia of history, centered on the UNESCO-listed San Salvatore-Santa Giulia monastic complex and the Brixia Roman archaeological park. This site features the remarkably preserved Capitolium temple and a 1st-century Roman theater. Overlooking the city, the medieval castle houses specialized museums dedicated to ancient weaponry and the Risorgimento. Artistic heritage is preserved in the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo and the Diocesan Museum, while the city's automotive legacy is celebrated at the Mille Miglia Museum, set within a restored 11th-century monastery.

Brescia Highlights — Map

Stefano Bolognini / Attribution

A

San Salvatore-Santa Giulia

San Salvatore is a former monastery in Brescia, Lombardy, northern Italy, now turned into a museum.

B

Parco archeologico di Brixia romana

One of Northern Italy's largest Roman archaeological sites, containing the Capitolium, a Roman theater, and the remains of a Republican sanctuary dating back to the 1st century BC.

Zanner / Public domain

C

Capitolium of Brixia

The Capitolium of Brixia or the Temple of the Capitoline Triad in Brescia was the main temple in the center of the Roman town of Brixia, in…

Wolfgang Moroder / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Castello di Brescia

A medieval fortress situated on Cidneo Hill. The complex includes a 14th-century Visconti keep, Venetian-era bastions, and a series of underground tunnels.

RobyBS89 / Public domain

E

Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo

The Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo is a public art museum in Brescia, Lombardy.

F

Mille Miglia Museum

Automobile museum housed in a restored 11th-century monastery dedicated to the history of the Mille Miglia road race. The collection features rare vintage cars and exhibits organized into nine chronological sections spanning from 1927 to the present.

Zanner / Public domain

G

Teatro Romano

Ruins of a 1st-century AD theater that once accommodated up to 15,000 spectators. It is located adjacent to the Capitolium within the Roman archaeological zone.

Zanner / Public domain

H

Foro Romano

The central square of the ancient Roman city of Brixia, established in the 1st century AD. It served as the civic and religious heart of the settlement.

Floriano Ferramola / Public domain

I

Diocesan Museum of Brescia

The Diocesan museum of Brescia is a museum in Italy dedicated to the artistic patrimony of the Diocese of Brescia, and is located in the…

J

Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco Novarino

A noble palace featuring an underground archaeological route that reveals remains from the Iron Age, Roman foundations, and medieval structures.

Wolfgang Moroder / CC BY-SA 3.0

K

Museo delle armi Luigi Marzoli

Housed in the Visconti Keep of the castle, this museum displays one of Europe's most significant collections of 15th to 18th-century armor and cold weapons.

Pietro Bauvier / Public domain

L

Museo del Risorgimento

Located within the castle grounds, this museum documents the Italian unification movement with a focus on Brescia’s 1849 uprising against Austrian rule.

M

Museo nazionale della fotografia

Museum dedicated to the history of photography, featuring a collection of vintage cameras, optical instruments, and a library of photographic prints.

Other Lists

Brescia Essentials Hidden Gems Museums & Art Galleries Castles & Historic Towers