Brescia
Encyclopedia
Brescia (ˈbreʃa or [ˈbrɛʃa]; Lombard: Brèsa [ˈbrɛsa]) is a city and comune
in the region of Lombardy
in northern Italy
. It is situated at the foot of the Alps
, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy
, after the capital, Milan
. Brescia is known as the "Lioness of Italy" (Leonessa d'Italia) after ten days of popular uprising
that took place in the city in the spring of 1849 against Austrian
rule.
The city is the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia
, one of the largest in Italy, with about 1,200,000 inhabitants. The ancient city of Brixia
, Brescia has been an important regional centre since pre-Roman times and a number of Roman
and medieval monuments are preserved, among the latter the prominent castle.
The city is at the centre of the third-largest Italian industrial area, concentrating on mechanical and automotive engineering
and machine tools, as well as the Beretta
arms firm. Its companies are typically small or medium-sized enterprises, often with family management. The financial sector is also a major employer, and the tourist trade benefits from the proximity of Lake Garda
, Lake Iseo
and the Alps.
The plan of the old town is rectangular, and the streets intersect at right angles, a peculiarity handed down from Roman times, though the area enclosed by the medieval walls is larger than that of the Roman town, which occupied the north-eastern quarter of the current "Centro storico" (the old town).
The Piazza del Foro (Forum Square) marks the site of the Roman-time forum: on the short north side, on the side of the Colle Cidneo (Cidneo Hill) dramatically stands a Corinthian temple with three cellae, that has been rediscovered starting in 1823. This temple complex, built on top of an earlier, smaller temple dating from Republican times, was probably the Capitolium of the city; it was erected by Vespasian
in 73 AD (if the inscription really belongs to the building). During excavation, in 1826, a splendid bronze statue of a winged Victory was found within the Capitolium, apparently hidden already in late antiquity, probably to preserve it from one of the various sackings that the town had to endure in those times.
The Capitolium used to house the Brescia Roman museum, that has however been moved to the nearby Santa Giulia
(St. Julia) complex, a former powerful nunnery, that during Lombard domination was headed by princess Anselperga
, daughter of king Desiderius
.
In the area are visible (although not open to the public) various other Roman vestiges. Among these, on the south side of Forum Square there are scanty remains of a building called the curia, but which may have been a basilica.
East of the Capitolium, and in antiquity attached to it, stands the imposing Roman theatre. Now only part of it is visible because of a palace that has been built in Renaissance times on the slopes of Cidneo Hill, that had in time slid down to cover the entire Capitolium-theatre area. It was again used for public performances in the early XX Century, but has now been long closed to the public.
Different mythological versions of the foundation of Brescia exist: one assigns it to Hercules
, while another attributes its foundation as Altilia ("the other Ilium") by a fugitive from the siege of Troy
. According to a further myth, the founder was the king of the Ligures
, Cidnus, who had invaded the Padan Plain
in the late Bronze Age
; this myth has given its name to the hill where the medieval castle now stands, called Colle Cidneo (Cidnus's Hill).
Scholars attribute the foundation to the Etruscan
s.
Invaded by the Gallic
Cenomani
, allies of the Insubres
, in the 4th century BC, it became their capital. The city became Roman in 225 BC, when the Cenomani submitted to the Romans. During the Carthaginian Wars 'Brixia' (as it was called then) was usually allied with the Romans. In 202 BC it was part of a Celtic confederation against them, but, after a secret agreement, changed sides and attacked the Insubres by surprise, destroying them. Subsequently the city and the tribe entered the Roman world peacefully as faithful allies, maintaining a certain administrative freedom. In 89 BC, Brixia was recognized as civitas ("city") and in 41 BC its inhabitants received Roman citizenship. Augustus
founded a civil (not military) colony there in 27 BC, and he and Tiberius constructed an aqueduct to supply it. Roman Brixia had at least three temples, an aqueduct, a theater, a forum with another temple built under Vespasianus, and some baths.
When Constantine
advanced against Maxentius
in 312, an engagement took place at Brixia in which the enemy was forced to retreat as far as Verona
. In 402, the city was ravaged by the Visigoths of Alaric I
. During the invasion of the Huns
under Attila, the city was again besieged and sacked in 452 while, some forty years later, it was one of the first conquests of the Gothic general Theoderic the Great in his war against Odoacer
.
by the Lombards
, who made it the capital of one of their semi-independent duchies. The first duke was Alachis, who died in 573. Later dukes included the future kings Rotharis and Rodoald
, and Alachis II, a fervent anti-Catholic who was killed in the batte of Cornate d'Adda
(688). The last king of the Lombards, Desiderius
, had also been duke of Brescia. In 774, Charlemagne
captured the city and ended the existence of the Lombard kingdom in northern Italy.
Notingus was the first (prince-)bishop (in 844) who bore the title of count
(see Bishopric of Brescia
). From 855 to 875, under Louis II the Younger, Brescia become de facto capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
Later the power of the bishop as imperial representative was gradually opposed by the local citizens and nobles, Brescia becoming a free commune around the early 12th century. Subsequently it expanded into the nearby countryside, first at the expense of the local landholders, and later against the neighbouring communes, notably Bergamo
and Cremona
. Brescia defeated the latter two times at Pontoglio, then at the Grumore (mid-12th century) and in the battle of the Malamorte (Bad Death) (1192).
During the struggles in XII and XIII centuries between the Lombard cities and the German emperors, Brescia was implicated in some of the leagues and in all of the uprisings against them. In the Battle of Legnano
the contingent from Brescia was the second in size after that of Milan
. The Peace of Constance
(1183) that ended the war with Frederick Barbarossa confirmed officially the free status of the comune. In 1201 the podestà
Rambertino Buvalelli
made peace and established a league with Cremona
, Bergamo
, and Mantua
. Memorable also is the siege
laid to Brescia by the Emperor Frederick II
in 1238 on account of the part taken by this city in the battle of Cortenova (27 November 1237). Brescia came through this assault victorious. After the fall of the Hohenstaufen
, republican institutions declined at Brescia as in the other free cities and the leadership was contested between powerful families, chief among them the Maggi and the Brusati, the latter of the (pro-imperial, anti-papal) Ghibelline party. In 1258 it fell into the hands of Ezzelino da Romano.
In 1311 Emperor Henry VII laid siege to Brescia for six months, losing three-fourths of his army. Later the Scaliger
of Verona, aided by the exiled Ghibellines, sought to place Brescia under subjection. The citizens of Brescia then had recourse to John of Luxemburg
, but Mastino II della Scala
expelled the governor appointed by him. His mastery was soon contested by the Visconti of Milan, but not even their rule was undisputed, as Pandolfo III Malatesta
in 1406 took possession of the city. However, in 1416 he bartered it to Filippo Maria Visconti
duke of Milan, who in 1426 sold it to the Venetians. The Milanese nobles forced Filippo to resume hostilities against the Venetians, and thus to attempt the recovery of Brescia, but he was defeated in the battle of Maclodio
(1427), near Brescia, by general Carmagnola
, commander of the Venetian mercenary army. In 1439 Brescia was once more besieged by Francesco Sforza, captain of the Venetians, who defeated Niccolò Piccinino
, Filippo's condottiero. Thenceforward Brescia and the province were a Venetian possession, with the exception of the years between 1512 and 1520, when it was occupied by the French armies under Gaston of Foix, Duke of Nemours.
. Many archive documents testify that from 1585 to 1895 Brescia was the cradle of a magnificent school of string players and makers, all styled "maestro", of all the different kinds of stringed instruments of the Renaissance: viola da gamba (viols), violone, lyra, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo. So you can find "maestro delle viole" or "maestro delle lire" and later, at least from 1558, "maestro di far violini" that is master of violin making. From 1530 the word violin appeared in Brescian documents and spread throughout north of Italy.
Early in the 16th century Brescia was one of the wealthiest cities of Lombardy, but it never recovered from its sack by the French in 1512.
It subsequently shared the fortunes of the Venetian republic until the latter fell at the hands of French general Napoleon Bonaparte; in Napoleonic times, it was part of the various revolutionary republics and then of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy after Napoleon became Emperor of the French.
In 1769, the city was devastated when the Bastion of San Nazaro was struck by lightning
. The resulting fire ignited 90,000 kg of gunpowder
stored there, causing a massive explosion which destroyed one-sixth of the city and killed 3,000 people.
After the end of the Napoleonic era in 1815, Brescia was annexed to the Austrian puppet state known as the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.
Brescia revolted in 1848; then again in March 1849, when the Piedmontese army invaded Austrian-controlled Lombardy, the people in Brescia overthrew the hated local Austrian administration, and the Austrian military contingent, led by general Haynau, retreated to the Castle. When the larger military operations turned against the Piedmontese, that retreated, Brescia was left to its own resources, but managed to resist recapture by the Austrian army for ten days of bloody and obstinate street fighting that are now celebrated as the Ten Days of Brescia
. This prompted poet Giosuè Carducci
to nickname Brescia "Leonessa d'Italia" ("Italian Lioness"), since it was the only Lombard town to rally to King Charles Albert of Piedmont in that year.
In 1859, the citizens of Brescia voted overwhelmingly in favor of its inclusion in the newly-founded Kingdom of Italy
.
The city was awarded a Gold Medal for its resistance against Fascism in World War II
.
On May 28, 1974, it was the seat of the bloody Piazza della Loggia bombing
.
The city has no fewer than seventy-two public fountains. The stone quarries of Rezzato
, 8 km east of Brescia, supplied marble for the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome.
Since 1994 (under the new electoral law, 1993) the mayor of Brescia is directly elected by the population.
The City Council of Brescia has 40 members (last election, April 2008).
The mayor of Brescia is Adriano Paroli (PDL
) since 14 April 2008. Previously Paolo Corsini (PD
) held the position since 1998 to 2008.
that took place annually in May until 1957 on a Brescia-Rome-Brescia itinerary, and also the now defunct Coppa Florio
, one of the first ever sport motor races.
The Mille Miglia tradition is now kept alive by the "Historic Mille Miglia", a world-class event that gathers in Brescia every year thousands of fans of motor sports and of vintage sports cars. The only cars admitted to the race are the ones that could compete (although they did not necessarily took part in it) in the original Mille Miglia. The race nowadays is not however a speed race anymore, but rather a "regularity" race; speed races have actually been banned on regular roads in Italy because of the deadly accident that killed a driver and ten bystanders in the last minutes of the 1957 Mille Miglia - that therefore became the last of the original races.
Brescia is also the home of the Brescia Calcio
football club and the Rugby Leonessa 1928
.
. This name was given by its first citizens, who were from Brescia.
, Germany
(1991) Kaunas
, Lithuania
Logroño
, Spain
Toluca
, Mexico
Shenzhen
, China
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the region of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
in northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is situated at the foot of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, after the capital, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Brescia is known as the "Lioness of Italy" (Leonessa d'Italia) after ten days of popular uprising
Ten Days of Brescia
The Ten Days of Brescia was a revolt which broke out in the northern Italian city of that name, which lasted from March 23 to April 1, 1849.In the early 19th century Brescia was part of the Austrian puppet state called Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia...
that took place in the city in the spring of 1849 against Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
rule.
The city is the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia is a Province in Lombardy, Italy. It borders with the province of Sondrio in the N and NW, the province of Bergamo in the W, province of Cremona in the SW and S, the province of Mantova to the S, and to the east, the province of Verona and Trentino .Source for statistical...
, one of the largest in Italy, with about 1,200,000 inhabitants. The ancient city of Brixia
Brixia
Brixia is the Latin name of the modern city of Brescia in Northern Italy.Its location was first settled in the 7th century BC by a tribe of Gauls , which were the inhabitants of this part of Italy before the Roman conquest . The name of the tribe was Cœnomani, and the name of the city comes from...
, Brescia has been an important regional centre since pre-Roman times and a number of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and medieval monuments are preserved, among the latter the prominent castle.
The city is at the centre of the third-largest Italian industrial area, concentrating on mechanical and automotive engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and machine tools, as well as the Beretta
Beretta
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...
arms firm. Its companies are typically small or medium-sized enterprises, often with family management. The financial sector is also a major employer, and the tourist trade benefits from the proximity of Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, Lake Iseo
Lake Iseo
Lake Iseo or Lago d'Iseo or Sebino is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river.It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia...
and the Alps.
The plan of the old town is rectangular, and the streets intersect at right angles, a peculiarity handed down from Roman times, though the area enclosed by the medieval walls is larger than that of the Roman town, which occupied the north-eastern quarter of the current "Centro storico" (the old town).
The Piazza del Foro (Forum Square) marks the site of the Roman-time forum: on the short north side, on the side of the Colle Cidneo (Cidneo Hill) dramatically stands a Corinthian temple with three cellae, that has been rediscovered starting in 1823. This temple complex, built on top of an earlier, smaller temple dating from Republican times, was probably the Capitolium of the city; it was erected by Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
in 73 AD (if the inscription really belongs to the building). During excavation, in 1826, a splendid bronze statue of a winged Victory was found within the Capitolium, apparently hidden already in late antiquity, probably to preserve it from one of the various sackings that the town had to endure in those times.
The Capitolium used to house the Brescia Roman museum, that has however been moved to the nearby Santa Giulia
San Salvatore, Brescia
San Salvatore is a former monastery in Brescia, Lombardy, northern Italy, now turned into a museum. The monastic complex is famous for the diversity of its architecture which include Roman remains and significant pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Renaissance buildings.In 2011, it became a UNESCO...
(St. Julia) complex, a former powerful nunnery, that during Lombard domination was headed by princess Anselperga
Anselperga
Anselperga was the eldest daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and Ansa. She was the second Abbess of San Salvatore e Santa Giulia, which her parents had formed in Brescia from the union of San Michele e San Pietro with San Salvatore e Santa Maria....
, daughter of king Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
.
In the area are visible (although not open to the public) various other Roman vestiges. Among these, on the south side of Forum Square there are scanty remains of a building called the curia, but which may have been a basilica.
East of the Capitolium, and in antiquity attached to it, stands the imposing Roman theatre. Now only part of it is visible because of a palace that has been built in Renaissance times on the slopes of Cidneo Hill, that had in time slid down to cover the entire Capitolium-theatre area. It was again used for public performances in the early XX Century, but has now been long closed to the public.
Ancient era
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
, while another attributes its foundation as Altilia ("the other Ilium") by a fugitive from the siege of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. According to a further myth, the founder was the king of the Ligures
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
, Cidnus, who had invaded the Padan Plain
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
in the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
; this myth has given its name to the hill where the medieval castle now stands, called Colle Cidneo (Cidnus's Hill).
Scholars attribute the foundation to the Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
s.
Invaded by the Gallic
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
Cenomani
Cenomani (Cisalpine Gaul)
The Cenomani , was an ancient tribe of the Cisalpine Gauls, who occupied the tract north of the Padus , between the Insubres on the west and the Veneti on the east. Their territory appears to have extended from the river Addua to the Athesis...
, allies of the Insubres
Insubres
The Insubres were a Gaulish population settled in Insubria, in what is now Lombardy . They were the founders of Milan . Though ethnically Celtic at the time of Roman conquest , they were most likely the result of the fusion of pre-existing Ligurian, Celtic and "Italic" population strata with Gaulish...
, in the 4th century BC, it became their capital. The city became Roman in 225 BC, when the Cenomani submitted to the Romans. During the Carthaginian Wars 'Brixia' (as it was called then) was usually allied with the Romans. In 202 BC it was part of a Celtic confederation against them, but, after a secret agreement, changed sides and attacked the Insubres by surprise, destroying them. Subsequently the city and the tribe entered the Roman world peacefully as faithful allies, maintaining a certain administrative freedom. In 89 BC, Brixia was recognized as civitas ("city") and in 41 BC its inhabitants received Roman citizenship. Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
founded a civil (not military) colony there in 27 BC, and he and Tiberius constructed an aqueduct to supply it. Roman Brixia had at least three temples, an aqueduct, a theater, a forum with another temple built under Vespasianus, and some baths.
When Constantine
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
advanced against Maxentius
Maxentius
Maxentius was a Roman Emperor from 306 to 312. He was the son of former Emperor Maximian, and the son-in-law of Emperor Galerius.-Birth and early life:Maxentius' exact date of birth is unknown; it was probably around 278...
in 312, an engagement took place at Brixia in which the enemy was forced to retreat as far as Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. In 402, the city was ravaged by the Visigoths of Alaric I
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
. During the invasion of the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
under Attila, the city was again besieged and sacked in 452 while, some forty years later, it was one of the first conquests of the Gothic general Theoderic the Great in his war against Odoacer
Odoacer
Flavius Odoacer , also known as Flavius Odovacer, was the first King of Italy. His reign is commonly seen as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire. Though the real power in Italy was in his hands, he represented himself as the client of Julius Nepos and, after Nepos' death in 480, of the...
.
Middle Ages
In 568 (or 569) Brescia was taken from the ByzantinesByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
by the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
, who made it the capital of one of their semi-independent duchies. The first duke was Alachis, who died in 573. Later dukes included the future kings Rotharis and Rodoald
Rodoald
Rodoald was a Lombard king of Italy, who succeeded his father Rothari on the throne in 652. He was said to be lecherous and he was assassinated after a reign of just six months in 653 by the husband of one of his lovers. Aripert, a rival claimant was elected with the support of the Catholic...
, and Alachis II, a fervent anti-Catholic who was killed in the batte of Cornate d'Adda
Cornate d'Adda
Cornate d'Adda is a comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 30 km northeast of Milan and 20 km from Monza.-External links:*...
(688). The last king of the Lombards, Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
, had also been duke of Brescia. In 774, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
captured the city and ended the existence of the Lombard kingdom in northern Italy.
Notingus was the first (prince-)bishop (in 844) who bore the title of count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(see Bishopric of Brescia
Bishopric of Brescia
The Diocese of Brescia is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan, also in Lombardy...
). From 855 to 875, under Louis II the Younger, Brescia become de facto capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
Later the power of the bishop as imperial representative was gradually opposed by the local citizens and nobles, Brescia becoming a free commune around the early 12th century. Subsequently it expanded into the nearby countryside, first at the expense of the local landholders, and later against the neighbouring communes, notably Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
and Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
. Brescia defeated the latter two times at Pontoglio, then at the Grumore (mid-12th century) and in the battle of the Malamorte (Bad Death) (1192).
During the struggles in XII and XIII centuries between the Lombard cities and the German emperors, Brescia was implicated in some of the leagues and in all of the uprisings against them. In the Battle of Legnano
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29, 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League.-The Lombard League:...
the contingent from Brescia was the second in size after that of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. The Peace of Constance
Peace of Constance
The Peace of Constance of 1183 was signed in Konstanz by Frederick Barbarossa and representatives of the Lombard League. It confirmed the Peace of Venice of 1177. The Italian cities retained local jurisdiction over their territories, and had the freedom to elect their own councils and to enact...
(1183) that ended the war with Frederick Barbarossa confirmed officially the free status of the comune. In 1201 the podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
Rambertino Buvalelli
Rambertino Buvalelli
Rambertino di Guido Buvalelli , a Bolognese judge, statesman, diplomat, and poet, was the earliest of the podestà-troubadours of thirteenth-century Lombardy. He served at one time or other as podestà of Brescia, Milan, Parma, Mantua, Genoa, and Verona. Ten of his Occitan poems survive, but none...
made peace and established a league with Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, and Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
. Memorable also is the siege
Siege of Brescia
The Siege of Brescia occurred in 1238. The Guelphs were attempting to take the town of Brescia. Emperor Frederick arrived and lifted the siege. His foes attempted to capture him during the battle, but were unable....
laid to Brescia by the Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
in 1238 on account of the part taken by this city in the battle of Cortenova (27 November 1237). Brescia came through this assault victorious. After the fall of the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
, republican institutions declined at Brescia as in the other free cities and the leadership was contested between powerful families, chief among them the Maggi and the Brusati, the latter of the (pro-imperial, anti-papal) Ghibelline party. In 1258 it fell into the hands of Ezzelino da Romano.
In 1311 Emperor Henry VII laid siege to Brescia for six months, losing three-fourths of his army. Later the Scaliger
Scaliger
The noble family of the Scaliger were Lords of Verona. When Ezzelino III was elected podestà of the commune in 1226, he was able to convert the office into a permanent lordship...
of Verona, aided by the exiled Ghibellines, sought to place Brescia under subjection. The citizens of Brescia then had recourse to John of Luxemburg
John I of Bohemia
John the Blind was the Count of Luxembourg from 1309 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He was the eldest son of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII and his wife Margaret of Brabant...
, but Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy.He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother Alberto II were associated in the rule of Verona. Soon, however, Mastino's...
expelled the governor appointed by him. His mastery was soon contested by the Visconti of Milan, but not even their rule was undisputed, as Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Fano, a member of the famous House of Malatesta.-Biography:...
in 1406 took possession of the city. However, in 1416 he bartered it to Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti was ruler of Milan from 1412 to 1447.-Biography:Filippo Maria Visconti, who had become nominal ruler of Pavia in 1402, succeeded his assassinated brother Gian Maria Visconti as Duke of Milan in 1412. They were the sons of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Gian Maria's predecessor, by...
duke of Milan, who in 1426 sold it to the Venetians. The Milanese nobles forced Filippo to resume hostilities against the Venetians, and thus to attempt the recovery of Brescia, but he was defeated in the battle of Maclodio
Battle of Maclodio
The Battle of Maclodio was fought on 11 October 1427, resulting in a victory for the Venetians under Carmagnola over the Milanese under Carlo I Malatesta. The battle was fought at Maclodio a small town near the River Oglio, fifteen kilometres south-west of Brescia...
(1427), near Brescia, by general Carmagnola
Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola
Francesco Bussone, often called Count of Carmagnola , was an Italian condottiero.- Biography :Francesco Bussone was born at Carmagnola, near Turin, in a humble peasant family....
, commander of the Venetian mercenary army. In 1439 Brescia was once more besieged by Francesco Sforza, captain of the Venetians, who defeated Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino was an Italian condottiero.-Biography:He was born at Perugia, was the son of a butcher.He began his military career in the service of Braccio da Montone, who at that time was waging war against Perugia on his own account, and at the death of his chief, shortly followed by that of...
, Filippo's condottiero. Thenceforward Brescia and the province were a Venetian possession, with the exception of the years between 1512 and 1520, when it was occupied by the French armies under Gaston of Foix, Duke of Nemours.
Modern era
Brescia has had a major role in the history of the violinHistory of the violin
The history of bowed string musical instrument in Europe goes back to the 9th century with the lira of the Byzantine Empire, a bowed instrument . The Persian geographer Ibn Khurradadhbih The history of bowed string musical instrument in Europe goes back to the 9th century with the lira (or lūrā,...
. Many archive documents testify that from 1585 to 1895 Brescia was the cradle of a magnificent school of string players and makers, all styled "maestro", of all the different kinds of stringed instruments of the Renaissance: viola da gamba (viols), violone, lyra, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo. So you can find "maestro delle viole" or "maestro delle lire" and later, at least from 1558, "maestro di far violini" that is master of violin making. From 1530 the word violin appeared in Brescian documents and spread throughout north of Italy.
Early in the 16th century Brescia was one of the wealthiest cities of Lombardy, but it never recovered from its sack by the French in 1512.
It subsequently shared the fortunes of the Venetian republic until the latter fell at the hands of French general Napoleon Bonaparte; in Napoleonic times, it was part of the various revolutionary republics and then of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy after Napoleon became Emperor of the French.
In 1769, the city was devastated when the Bastion of San Nazaro was struck by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
. The resulting fire ignited 90,000 kg of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
stored there, causing a massive explosion which destroyed one-sixth of the city and killed 3,000 people.
After the end of the Napoleonic era in 1815, Brescia was annexed to the Austrian puppet state known as the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.
Brescia revolted in 1848; then again in March 1849, when the Piedmontese army invaded Austrian-controlled Lombardy, the people in Brescia overthrew the hated local Austrian administration, and the Austrian military contingent, led by general Haynau, retreated to the Castle. When the larger military operations turned against the Piedmontese, that retreated, Brescia was left to its own resources, but managed to resist recapture by the Austrian army for ten days of bloody and obstinate street fighting that are now celebrated as the Ten Days of Brescia
Ten Days of Brescia
The Ten Days of Brescia was a revolt which broke out in the northern Italian city of that name, which lasted from March 23 to April 1, 1849.In the early 19th century Brescia was part of the Austrian puppet state called Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia...
. This prompted poet Giosuè Carducci
Giosuè Carducci
Giosuè Alessandro Michele Carducci was an Italian poet and teacher. He was very influential and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906 he became the first Italian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
to nickname Brescia "Leonessa d'Italia" ("Italian Lioness"), since it was the only Lombard town to rally to King Charles Albert of Piedmont in that year.
In 1859, the citizens of Brescia voted overwhelmingly in favor of its inclusion in the newly-founded Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
.
The city was awarded a Gold Medal for its resistance against Fascism in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
On May 28, 1974, it was the seat of the bloody Piazza della Loggia bombing
Piazza della Loggia bombing
The Piazza della Loggia bombing was a bombing that took place on the morning of 28 May 1974, in Brescia, Italy during an anti-fascist protest which killed eight people and wounded over 90...
.
Main sights
- Piazza della Loggia, a noteworthy example of RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
piazza, with the eponymous loggiaLoggiaLoggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
(the current Town Hall) built in 1492 by the architect Filippino de' Grassi. On May 28, 1974, the square was the location of a terrorist bombingPiazza della Loggia bombingThe Piazza della Loggia bombing was a bombing that took place on the morning of 28 May 1974, in Brescia, Italy during an anti-fascist protest which killed eight people and wounded over 90...
. - Duomo Vecchio ("Old Cathedral"), also known as La Rotonda. It is an exteriorly rusticated RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church, striking for its circular shape. The main structure was built in the 11th century on the ruins of an earlier basilica. Near the entrance is the pink Veronese marble sarcophagus of Berardo Maggi, while in the presbytery is the entrance to the crypt of San Filastrio. The structure houses paintings of the Assumption, the Evangelists Luke and Mark, the Feast of the Paschal Lamb, and Eli and the Angel by Alessandro Bonvicino (known as il Moretto); two canvasses by Girolamo Romanino, and paintings by Palma il Giovane, Francesco MaffeiFrancesco MaffeiFrancesco Maffei was an Italian painter , active in the Baroque style.He probably trained in his birthplace of Vicenza with his father, and painted mostly in the towns of the Veneto...
, Bonvicino, and others. - Duomo Nuovo ("New Cathedral"). Construction on the new cathedral began in 1604 and continued till 1825. While initially a contract was awarded to PalladioAndrea PalladioAndrea Palladio was an architect active in the Republic of Venice. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily by Vitruvius, is widely considered the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture...
, economic shortfalls awarded the project, still completed in a Palladian style, to the young Brescian architect Giovanni Battista Lantana, with decorative projects directed mainly by Pietro Maria Bagnadore. The façade is designed mainly by Giovanni Battista and Antonio Marchetti, while the cupola was designed by Luigi CagnolaLuigi CagnolaMarchese Luigi Cagnola was an Italian architect.Cagnola was born in Milan. He was sent at the age of fourteen to the Clementine College at Rome, and afterwards studied at the University of Pavia...
. Interior frescoes including the Marriage, Visitation, and Birth of the Virgin, as well as the Sacrifice of Isaac, were frescoed by BonvicinoAlessandro BonvicinoAlessandro Bonvicino , more commonly known as Il Moretto da Brescia, was an Italian Renaissance painter of Brescia and Venice.-Biography:...
. The main attraction is the Arch of Sts. Apollonius and Filastrius (1510). - The BrolettoBrolettoBroletto is an ancient Italian word, from medieval Latin "broilum, brogilum", which probably derives from a Celtic word. Its first meaning is "little orchard or garden"; hence the meaning "field surrounded by a wall"...
, the medieval Town Hall, which now hosts offices of both the Municipality and the Province. It is a massive 12th and 13th century building; on the front, the balcony where the medieval city officials spoke to the townsfolk from; on the north side, still standing one (Lombard: Tòr del Pégol) of the two original city towers, with a belfry still hosting the bells used of old to call all hands in moments of distress. - In Piazza del Foro, as mentioned above, the most important array of Roman remains in Lombardy.
- The monastery of San Salvatore (or Santa Giulia), dating from the Lombard age but later renovated several times. It is one of the best examples of High Middle Ages architecture in northern Italy; it now hosts, after a decade-long renovation, the City Museum, with a rich Roman section; one of the masterpieces is the bronze statue of a winged Victory, originally probably a Venus, converted in antiquity into the Victory by adding the wings; it is said to be in the act of writing the winner's name on her shield (now lost). Also very interesting, one of the very few places in the world where the remains of three Roman domusDomusIn ancient Rome, the domus was the type of house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. They could be found in almost all the major cities throughout the Roman territories...
can be visited on their original site simply by strolling into one of the Museum halls. - Santa Maria dei MiracoliSanta Maria dei MiracoliItalian churches:* Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto in Rome* Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Venice* Santa Maria presso San Celso in Milan...
(1488–1523), with a fine façade by Giovanni Antonio AmadeoGiovanni Antonio Amadeothumb|260px|The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo.Giovanni Antonio Amadeo was an Italian early Renaissance sculptor, architect, and engineer....
, decorated with bas-reliefs and a Renaissance peristilium. - The Romanesque-Gothic church of St. Francis of Assisi, with a Gothic façade and cloisters.
- The castle, at the north-east angle of the town, on top of Colle Cidneo. Besides commanding a fine view of the city and a large part of the surrounding area, and being a local favorite recreational area, it hosts the Arms Museum, with a fine collection of weapons from the Middle Ages onwards; the Risorgimento Museum, dedicated to the Italian independence wars of the XIX century; an exhibition of model railroads; and an astronomical observatory.
- Church of San Nazario e Celso, with the Averoldi PolyptychAveroldi PolyptychThe Averoldi Polyptych is a painting by the Italian late Renaissance painter Titian, dating to 1520-1522 and housed in the basilica church of Santi Nazario e Celso in Brescia, northern Italy....
by TitianTitianTiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
. - Church of San Clemente, with numerous painting by Alessandro BonvicinoAlessandro BonvicinoAlessandro Bonvicino , more commonly known as Il Moretto da Brescia, was an Italian Renaissance painter of Brescia and Venice.-Biography:...
(generally known as Moretto). - Church of San Giovanni, with a refectory painted partly by the Moretto and partly by Girolamo Romanino.
- Pinacoteca Tosio MartinengoPinacoteca Tosio MartinengoThe Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo is a public art collection in Brescia, Lombardy, northern Italy, exhibiting mainly paintings by local artists from the 13th through 18th centuries....
(currently closed for renovations), the municipal art gallery; it hosts works of the painters of the classical Brescian school, Romanino, BonvicinoAlessandro BonvicinoAlessandro Bonvicino , more commonly known as Il Moretto da Brescia, was an Italian Renaissance painter of Brescia and Venice.-Biography:...
, and Bonvicino's pupil, Giovanni Battista MoroniGiovanni Battista MoroniGiovanni Battista Moroni was a North Italian painter of the Late Renaissance period. He is also called Giambattista Moroni...
. - Biblioteca Queriniana, containing rare early manuscripts, including a 14th-century manuscript of DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
, and some rare incunabula.
The city has no fewer than seventy-two public fountains. The stone quarries of Rezzato
Rezzato
Rezzato is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is bounded by other communes of Brescia, Botticino, Castenedolo, Mazzano and Nuvolera.-Ancient era:...
, 8 km east of Brescia, supplied marble for the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome.
Municipal administration
| Composition of the City Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| PDL The People of Freedom The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system.... |
14 | |
| PD Democratic Party (Italy) The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election.... |
11 | |
| LN | 8 | |
| UDC | 2 | |
Since 1994 (under the new electoral law, 1993) the mayor of Brescia is directly elected by the population.
The City Council of Brescia has 40 members (last election, April 2008).
The mayor of Brescia is Adriano Paroli (PDL
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
) since 14 April 2008. Previously Paolo Corsini (PD
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
) held the position since 1998 to 2008.
Sports
Brescia was the starting and end point of the historical car race Mille MigliaMille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
that took place annually in May until 1957 on a Brescia-Rome-Brescia itinerary, and also the now defunct Coppa Florio
Coppa Florio
Coppa Florio was an Italian car race started in 1900, and renamed in 1905 when Vincenzo Florio offered the initial 50 000 Lira and a cup designed by Polak of Paris. The cup was to be offered the manufacturer that wins four or more of the first seven races, the first race held in 1905...
, one of the first ever sport motor races.
The Mille Miglia tradition is now kept alive by the "Historic Mille Miglia", a world-class event that gathers in Brescia every year thousands of fans of motor sports and of vintage sports cars. The only cars admitted to the race are the ones that could compete (although they did not necessarily took part in it) in the original Mille Miglia. The race nowadays is not however a speed race anymore, but rather a "regularity" race; speed races have actually been banned on regular roads in Italy because of the deadly accident that killed a driver and ten bystanders in the last minutes of the 1957 Mille Miglia - that therefore became the last of the original races.
Brescia is also the home of the Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
football club and the Rugby Leonessa 1928
Rugby Leonessa 1928
Rugby Leonessa 1928 is an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Italy's Serie A. They are based in Brescia in Lombardy.The team was formed in 2002 after the merger of A.S. Rugby Rovato and Rugby Brescia...
.
Famous citizens
- Marcus Nonius MacrinusMarcus Nonius MacrinusMarcus Nonius Macrinus Roman general and statesman fl. 161 AD in the era of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He served as Consul in 154, and several terms as proconsul thereafter.According to the inscriptions on his tomb, he was originally from Brescia...
, Roman general and consul to Emperor Marcus Aurelius - RothariRothariRothari , of the house of Arodus, was king of the Lombards from 636 to 652; previously he had been duke of Brescia. He succeeded Arioald, who was an Arian like himself, and was one of the most energetic of Lombard kings...
or Rotari, King of the LombardsLombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy... - RodoaldRodoaldRodoald was a Lombard king of Italy, who succeeded his father Rothari on the throne in 652. He was said to be lecherous and he was assassinated after a reign of just six months in 653 by the husband of one of his lovers. Aripert, a rival claimant was elected with the support of the Catholic...
or Rodoaldo, King of the LombardsLombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy... - DesideriusDesideriusDesiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
, King of the LombardsLombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy... - Louis II, Holy Roman EmperorLouis II, Holy Roman EmperorLouis II the Younger was the King of Italy and Roman Emperor from 844, co-ruling with his father Lothair I until 855, after which he ruled alone. Louis's usual title was imperator augustus , but he used imperator Romanorum after his conquest of Bari in 871, which led to poor relations with Byzantium...
, Frankish emperor and King of Italy - Arnold of BresciaArnold of BresciaArnold of Brescia , also known as Arnaldus , was an Italian monk from Lombardy who called on the Church to renounce ownership of property and participated in the failed Commune of Rome. Eventually arrested, he was hanged by the Church, burned posthumously, and then had his ashes thrown into the...
, a dissident monk who lived in the 12th century - Albertanus of BresciaAlbertanus of BresciaAlbertanus of Brescia , author of Latin social treatises and sermons.-Biography:...
, 13th century Latin author - Veronica GambaraVeronica GambaraVeronica Gambara was an Italian poet, stateswoman and political leader.-Family:Born in Pralboino , in Lombardy, Italy, Gambara came from a distinguished family , one of the seven children of Count Gianfrancesco da Gambara and Alda Pio da Carpi...
(1485–1550), poet and stateswoman. - Giovanni Paoli (Juan Pablos), who brought the printing press to the new world in Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
under the viceroyalty of Antonio de MendozaAntonio de MendozaAntonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
from Spain in 1535 - Saint Angela MericiAngela MericiAngela Merici, or Angela de Merici, was an Italian religious leader and saint. She founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 in Brescia.-Life:...
, who founded the Order of Ursulines in Brescia in 1535 - Gasparo da SalòGasparo da SalòGasparo da Salò is the name given to Gasparo di Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and expert double bass player of which many and very detailed historical records exist.He was born in Salò on Lake Garda, in a family with legal, artistic, musical and craft interests...
, b. 1540, d. 1609 - pioneer of violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
making - Niccolò Fontana TartagliaNiccolò Fontana TartagliaNiccolò Fontana Tartaglia was a mathematician, an engineer , a surveyor and a bookkeeper from the then-Republic of Venice...
, mathematician in the 16th century - Giulio AlenioGiulio AlenioGiulio Alenio was an Italian Jesuit missionary and scholar.He was born at Brescia, in Italy, and died at Yanping, China. He became a member of the Society of Jesus in 1600, and was distinguished for his knowledge of mathematics and theology.He entered the Society of Jesus and was sent to the East...
, (Brescia 1582-YanpingYanpingYanping may refer to:*Koxinga, the Prince of Yanping, a military leader at the end of the Chinese Ming Dynasty*Yanping District, in Nanping, Fujian, China...
1649) Jesuit missionary called the "ConfuciusConfuciusConfucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
from the West" - Francesco Lana de TerziFrancesco Lana de TerziFrancesco Lana de Terzi was an Italian Jesuit, mathematician, naturalist and aeronautics pioneer...
(1631–1687), aeronautics and braille pioneer - Benedetto CastelliBenedetto CastelliBenedetto Castelli , born Antonio Castelli, was an Italian mathematician. He took the name "Benedetto" upon entering the Benedictine Order in 1595....
, mathematician and expert in hydraulicsHydraulicsHydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
in the early 17th century - Paris Francesco AlghisiParis Francesco AlghisiParis Francesco Alghisi was an Italian organist and composer. He was born in and died in Brescia.-Notable works:*La giornata del Diporto *Le piaghe sante da una ferita...
(1666–1733), composer - Pietro GnocchiPietro GnocchiPietro Gnocchi was an Italian composer, choir director, historian, and geographer of the late Baroque era, active mainly in Brescia, where he was choir director of Brescia Cathedral...
1689–1775, eccentric polymath and composer - Bartolomeo Beretta, gunsmith and founder of the BerettaBerettaFabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...
firearm company - Giuseppe ZanardelliGiuseppe ZanardelliGiuseppe Zanardelli was an Italian jurisconsult, nationalist and political figure. He was the 24th Prime Minister of Italy from February 15, 1901 to November 3, 1903.-Biography:...
, b. 1826, d. 1903 - jurisconsult, politician, prime minister of the Kingdom of Italy (February 15, 1901 – November 3, 1903) - Saint Maria Crocifissa di RosaMaria Crocifissa di RosaMaria Crocifissa Di Rosa was the founder of the Handmaids of Charity in Brescia, Italy, in 1839. She was both beatified and canonized by Pope Pius XII.She was born as Paolina Francesca di Rosa on November 6, 1813, in the city of Brescia, Italy...
, who founded the Handmaids of Charity order of nuns in Brescia in 1840 - Camillo GolgiCamillo GolgiCamillo Golgi was an Italian physician, pathologist, scientist, and Nobel laureate.-Biography:Camillo Golgi was born in the village of Corteno, Lombardy, then part of the Austrian Empire. The village is now named Corteno Golgi in his honour. His father was a physician and district medical officer...
experimental pathologist, b. 1843, d. 1926, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 for his studies of the structure of the nervous system - Arturo Benedetti MichelangeliArturo Benedetti MichelangeliArturo Benedetti Michelangeli was a virtuoso Italian classical pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, as well as one of the most important Italian pianists along with Ferruccio Busoni and Maurizio Pollini.-Biography:Born in Brescia, Italy, he began...
, a pianist of the 20th century - Pope Paul VIPope Paul VIPaul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, born Giovanni Battista Montini (1897–1978). - Guglielmo Achille CavelliniGuglielmo Achille CavelliniGuglielmo Achille Cavellini, also known as GAC was an influential Italian art collector and mail artist.Cavellini was born into a merchant family in Brescia, lombardy, where he ran a dry-goods shop through the post-war years following World War II.He produced many reinterpretations of concurrent...
(1914–1990), art collector and artist - Andrea PirloAndrea PirloAndrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
, football player - Mario BalotelliMario BalotelliMario Balotelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently...
, football player - Manuel BelleriManuel BelleriManuel Belleri is an Italian football defender-Football career:Belleri started his career at Lumezzane. He played in Serie A for Empoli in the 2002–03 season. When Empoli failed to protect his place in 2004, Belleri, Di Natale and Emílson were sold to Udinese in a co-ownership deal, with Almirón...
, football player - Giacomo AgostiniGiacomo Agostini-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
b. 1942, world-famous Grand Prix motorcycle racer and World Champion 1964–1977 - Marco CassettiMarco CassettiMarco Cassetti is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A side Roma, as a center back or right-back. He is a hard working, versatile player who is able to cross the ball well.-Early career:...
, football player - Sergio ScarioloSergio ScarioloSergio Scariolo is an Italian professional basketball coach. From 2008 to 2010 he was the head coach of Russian Super League club Khimki Moscow Region, now he is the head coach of the senior Spanish national basketball team, with whom he won the EuroBasket 2009 and the EuroBasket 2011- External...
, basketball coach - L'AuraL'AuraL'Aura alias Laura Abela is an Italian singer, songwriter, composer, pianist and violinist.L'Aura spent two years in San Francisco in preparation for recording her first record titled Okumuki, which was recorded in Italy and released in 2005. She sung part of it in Italian and part of it in English...
, b.1984 - singer-songwriter
International relations
In Brazil there is a town called Nova BrésciaNova Bréscia
Nova Bréscia is a municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, settled by Italian immigrants from Brescia. Its estimated population in 2004 was 3035 inhabitants.It has an area of ....
. This name was given by its first citizens, who were from Brescia.
Twin towns—Sister cities
Brescia is twinned with: DarmstadtDarmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1991) Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
Logroño
Logroño
Logroño is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as La Rioja Province.The population of Logroño in 2008 was 153,736 and a metropolitan population of nearly 197,000 inhabitants...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
See also
- Bishopric of BresciaBishopric of BresciaThe Diocese of Brescia is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan, also in Lombardy...
- University of BresciaUniversity of BresciaThe University of Brescia is a college situated in Brescia, Italy. It was founded in 1982 and is branched in 4 Faculties.The first phase goes back to 1964, when the chamber of commerce of Brescia tried to create a biennial degree course of engineering; unfortunately the cost was too high...
- Congregation of the Holy Family of NazarethCongregation of the Holy Family of NazarethThe Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth is a Catholic male religious order...