There is an amazing Italy, a treasure still to discover, for those who are not satisfied with typically conventional itineraries. Brescia and its surrounding area offer an extraordinary wealth of monuments and works of art and an exceptional variety of landscapes, lakes, hills, mountains, alpine glaciers and splendid cities of art. To visit Brescia guarantees unusual emotions: immersions in the archaeological excavations and in the thermal waters, windsurfing on the lake, summer skiing on the glacier, and close encounters with vintage cars and armouries. As in the verses of a poem, this land can arouse intense feeling: for this reason, since olden times, great poets have built their luxurious homes for their beneficial holidays. The majestic Roman villa of Catullo, for example, built on the most panoramic point of the Sirmione peninsula, near thermal springs already appreciated by the Romans and still fully active. The 1900's residence of the poet D'Annunzio, the Vittoriale of the Italians, is a unique home/museum lying between sumptuous gardens and symbolic architectures, on the shores of Brescia on lake Garda. In the heart of the ancient city of Brescia, founded by the Celts and rendered magnificent by the Romans, a treasure is hidden: the museum of Santa Giulia, one of Europe's most prestigious. An authentic Stargate, a door that takes us on an extraordinary trip in time through each civilization that populated Brescia and Italy. As wonderful as a set of Chinese boxes, inside the museum are historical buildings of great value. The medieval monastery gave hospitality to Ermengarda, the wife of Charlemagne, first Emperor of Europe. The trip in time continues from the museum to the city. After a few steps, we come to a great theatre, the Forum and the Temple. These spectacular ruins show the immense architectural capabilities of the Romans. An impressive castle overlooks Brescia. It can be found in the old downtown, enriched by walls and towers built in several eras, and contains one of the major museums of arms and armour in Europe. The art of metal working, which Brescians preferred for longer than anyone can remember, is demonstrated by mines in the neighbouring valley, the Val Trompia. A passion for iron that is not only expressed in the armour, but also in the splendid shapes of vintage cars, seen in the"Mille Miglia" (thousand miles), the historical race which starts and ends every year in Brescia. The civil heart of Brescia is Loggia square, whose architecture is Venetian, a city which dominated an extensive part of northern Italy for centuries. Works by the most famous Italian painters, from Tiziano to Raffaello, can be admired in the churches and palaces of the city. Even the working-class neighbourhood of Carmine is a period architectural work of art, and has picturesque views. The territory of Brescia is home to a number of small worlds, such as the Franciacorta, which with its excellent sparkling wines competes with Champagne. Here everything has a sign of quality: the best restaurants, the most sophisticated beauty farms, a wine-and-food itinerary of high cuisine, and the Italian quality hotel industry. Hills decorated with vineyards, Benedictine monasteries, villas and castles lead up to the small Lake Iseo, which houses another small world: Montisola. While lake Garda is bright, has a Mediterranean look, dynamic and young, Lake Iseo conjures up ancient atmospheres. Going up the Camonica Valley, up to the top of the Adamello, we enter in another microclimate, the glaciers of perennial snow. Where today, thanks to modern ski lifts, skiers ski down, the highest battles of the First World War were fought, and their historical findings can be admired. Along the slopes of the valley the enigmatic code of the people of Camunis has been engraved on the rocks smoothed by the ice age. An epic poem in hundreds of thousands of images tells us about the life of the prehistoric people. The territory of Brescia carries on surprising us. All one needs to do is to round a corner, and one of its lakes appears: Garda, Sebino, Idro, which are loved by tourists and are rich in prestigious hotels, historical old towns, olive trees and vineyards, beaches, golf courses. The panoramic road of high Garda is unforgettable: it runs high between the rocky mountain sides, the blue lake and the traditional lemon orchards. From prehistoric times up to the 21st century, Brescians have been able to create an original type of the Italian style of life. Dynamic and projected into the future, Brescia is loyal to its roots and offers visitors the fruits of its land and its creativity. In high quality restaurants you will be able to appreciate dishes by internationally known chefs, and particularly some of the best wines and cheeses made in Italy. You will enjoy a wide choice of shopping. Visit Brescia to discover a surprising Italy.

• published: 25 Jan 2013
• views: 676