Brescia is a historic city that was one of the main centers of the Lombard state in the early Middle Ages. Its monuments from the Roman and early Middle Ages are on the UNESCO list.
The city was founded in the 4th century by the Celts, and from the 1st century BC it was in the hands of the Romans. However, its greatest importance was achieved between the 6th and 8th centuries, when it became one of the main centers of the Lombard state. In later centuries, it was a thriving commercial city that was under the control of Venice for a long time.
The most valuable monuments of Besci come from the Roman period and the reign of the Lombards. An archaeological park is entered on the UNESCO list. The Roman Forum, Capitolium or the ruins of the temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad, the Roman theater and the San Salvatore-Santa Giulia monastery complex from the times of the Lombards. It functions now under the name of the Santa Giulia Museum, and its central point is the Chapel of Santa Maria in Solario, decorated with frescoes.
The buildings in Brescia bear the traces of various epochs and reflect its long and rich history. The best examples of the local Renaissance can be seen in Piazza della Logia, where the town hall building, known as the log from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, stands, the Torre dell'Orologio tower and representative city buildings.
In turn, in the neighboring Piazza Paolo VI, you can see the Old and New Cathedral. The Old Cathedral is a circular Romanesque church built in the 11th century, while the New Cathedral with a Classicist façade and cupola was built between the 17th and 18th centuries.
An interesting attraction of Brescia that deviates from its historic character is the Mille Miglia Museum dedicated to the "Thousand miles" car rally held in 1927-1957 on the Brescia-Rome-Brescia route.
