Lombardia
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
From Alpine mountains in the north to rolling, alluvial plains in the south. From prehistoric pile dwellings to the historic city of Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Lombardy is a region of cultural contrasts as much as diverse natural settings. The region is home to some of the world’s most well known art, from Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ in the Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to the glacially cut Camonica Valley with hundreds of thousands of rock engravings. Provinces in Lombardy are: Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Milan, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese.
Archaeology & History Sites in Lombardia
Bergamo
Divided into an upper and a lower town by walls built by the Venetian Republic in the 16th century, the history of the city goes back to the Romans. In the streets of Upper Bergamo, where most of the historic monuments are located, it is the medieval atmosphere that dominates, while it is the modern town that one discovers in Lower Bergamo. The flavour of stracciatella ice cream was invented here, and you can also taste Polenta e Osei, a typical Bergamo dessert. It was also the birthplace of Gaetano Donizetti, one of the greatest opera composers of the 19th century.
Brescia
Due to its historic association with the Venetian Republic, the city became known as ‘The Lioness’, recognised by the Venetian senate in the 15th century as a worthy bride of the Lion. And later to became the ‘Lioness of Italy’ for its heroic resistance against the Austrians during the Risorgimento. Elected as the Italian capital of the culture for 2023, it is also the birthplace of the Mille Miglia, one of the most iconic car races in the Bel Paese, starting and finishing in Viale Venezia.
Brixia Roman Archaeological Area
Brixia, the Roman town of Brescia, is among the best preserved archaeological sites in Italy. First excavated in 1823, architectural features that have survived include a first century BC Republican sanctuary, the town’s capitolium dated to 73 AD, and a theatre from the first to third centuries AD. Excavations recovered an extraordinary collection of large bronze statues – the most spectacular of which is the Winged Victory. Following considerable conservation work, the statue was placed on permanent display in one of the halls of the capitolium.
Castelseprio Archaeological Park
The Parco archeologico di Castelseprio contains the ruins of a Roman fort that developed into a small fortified Lombard town. It was destroyed and abandoned in 1287. In the church of Santa Maria foris portas are a number or frescoes that show a distinct Byzantine influence, these are beneath frescoes that are younger. Thought to be dated to the 9th century, the early frescoes depicting a cycle in the life of the Virgin Mary or Christ himself have been described as some of the finest frescoes of early medieval Europe.
Lecco
The well known Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni spent part of his childhood and adolescence here. Manzini’s ‘The Betrothed’, said to be the most famous and widely read Italian novel, begins in Lecco. And the popularity of the city as a tourist destination is in part due to its association with the novel. As part of the Duchy of Milan, and passing from Spanish to Austrian rule, this history is evident in the architecture. The City of Iron, an important centre from the late 19th and mid-20th century iron and steel industry, is situated at a picturesque spot between the River Adda and the end of Lake Como.
Milan
Known to the Romans as Mediolanum, Milan is now the second-largest city in Italy and in Europe’s top 20. Recognised as the capital of fashion, the city boasts an important tradition in the art and antiquaries market, with street stalls that fill the Via dei Navigli on the last Sunday of every month. As home to La Scala, it is widely thought to represent the pinnacle of world opera. Perhaps the most well known landmark is the Duomo di Milano, but also the Castello Sforzesco and the UNESCO site of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses the Cenacolo Vinciano.
Museums & Art Galleries in Lombardia
Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Brescia
Housed in the 16th century Palazzo Martinengo da Barco is a collection of objects that range in date from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Raphael’s Angel and Lorenzo Lotto’s The Adoration of the Shepherds, as well as a number of Renaissance paintings by well known Brescian artists. Besides an invaluable collection of paintings and prints, other objects on display include ceramics, bronzes, medals, jewels, ivories and enamels. The museum also has an unrivalled collection of Venetian glass.
Santa Giulia Museum, Brescia
The Museo di Santa Giulia is a museum exhibiting objects and art from prehistory to the present, in a architectural complex of Roman and Longobard origins – taking up some 14,000 square metres. The museum is a series of historical sites in itself, including two Roman era houses, the 8th century AD Longobard basilica of San Salvatore, the 16th century Choir of the Nuns and the 12th century Romanesque Oratory of Santa Maria in Solario. the collection on display, chronologically, is equally wide ranging, about 12,000 artefacts show the history of Brescia from the 3rd third millennium BC to the Renaissance.
