Situation
Brescia, capital of the province of the same name, second in importance only to Milan among the towns of Lombardy, lies below two foothills of the Brescian Alps, some 25km/15mi west of Lake Garda. The picturesque old town, surrounded by gardens,
has Roman remains dating from the early Empire and fine Renaissance buildings. Following heavy damage during the Second World War some parts of the town have been rebuilt with wider streets and larger squares. The town's industries include textiles and hardware, and it is also an important market center for the agricultural products of the fertile surrounding area.
History
The ancient Brixia became a Roman colony in the time of Augustus under the name of Colonia Augusta Civica and rose to prosperity as a result of its situation on the road which ran from Bologna through the Alps by way of the Splügen pass. During the Middle Ages it was an active member of the Lombard league of towns. From 1428 to 1797 it belonged to Venice. Brescia produced two notable painters - Alessandro Bonvicino, known as Il Moretto (1498-1554), whose coloring vies with that one of the Venetians, and Girolama da Romano, known as Il Romanino (c. 1485-after 1562). Their works are well represented in the town's churches and in the Pinacoteca.
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