Dear Steemit community
Today my post will bring you to Brescia. The definition "Lioness of Italy"is related to an event occured in the end of March 1849 named "Ten days of Brescia". It was a revolt which was broke out in northern Italy against the kingdom of Lombardy -Venetia. At that time it was considered a kind of state-puppet of Austrian-Hungarian Empire. During this revolt the inhabitants of Brescia received an acknowledge for their boldness and precious contribute. Italian poets Aleardo Aleardo firstly and Giosué Carducci later provide this definition of Brescia in their poems. Nowadays it is popular in many people's mind.
Brescia is dominated by an hill and its castle on the top. The main entrance is a white arch built with local stones and it has a lion with wings which represents the symbol of Venice. (Some people confuse it with the lioness and its story). A witness of the old Venetian-Visconti family who ruled during XVI century.
(Map of the castle)
The castle is completely surrounded by city walls. The main building was erected by the old family Visconti from Milan during the XIV century. Before there were some ruins of a temple dated on I century A.C.
The next photo from another entrance of the castle. Behind me the view of the cupola in one of the most important square in Brescia. Piazza Paolo VI a square in which there are three main buildings.
-Broletto Palace
It was the headquarter of the civic government. It is architecture is a mix between Romanesque and gothic. The name
Broletto is related to the power during the middle age
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-the new cathedral (Duomo nuovo di Maria Assunta)
The largest Catholic church in Brescia built in XVII century on the ruins of a previous Paleocristian church. The building is in baroque style on a Greek cross plant and with one of the highest cupola in Italy.
-.Old Cathedral (Duomo vecchio di Maria Assunta)
Co-cathedral which stands nearby and completely different. It was built in the XI century in Rustic Romanesque style. Its plant is circular and consists of a central block with two cylindral parts made by stone.
(inside the old Cathedral)
It is probably the only one square with two "co-cathedrals" in whole Italy. Its style is unique and original.
(inside the old Cathedral)
Brescia preserves also an archeological site of the Roman Empire. The ruins of Temple of Capitoline triad built during the first century a.C by Vespasiano the roman emperor, since 2011 it is part of World Heritage of Unesco.
If go to Brescia do not miss also Piazza della Loggia unfortunately I could not take take any picture due to my phone ran out of battery. It is one of the most important squares in Brescia designed and built during the Renaissance. The building and porticos are in Venetian style. The most attractive is the eastern arcade with its beautiful mechanical clock tower built in the XVI century.
How to reach Brescia:
-From Airport Orio al Serio is 50km or Verona Villafranca 50km or Milan Linate 100km or Milan Malpensa 150km
-By train it is very well connected to Milan and Verona and Venice
-By car following the motorways A4 ( Turin-Milan-Venice-Trieste) or A35 (Brescia -Bergamo- Milan) or A21 (Turin- Piacenza -Brescia)
It is very easy to reach it if you come to northern Italy you should visit also this city.
Best Regards
(All photos are created by myself and taken with my Samsung Galaxy Alpha)