Brescia Castle
Perched at the top of the Cidneo Hill, the Castle is one of the most fascinating fortified complexes in Europe, still bearing the traces of the various dominations of the past.
The Mastio, the fortified keep on the top of the hill, with its mighty Torre dei Prigionieri (Tower of the Prisoners), the drawbridge and the Mirabella Tower, the last trace of the church of Santo Stefano in Arce overlooking the town, bear witness to the communal period and the Visconti domination. The imposing bastions, with their monumental gate, are testaments to the power of the Republic of Venice – La Serenissima – that ruled the city for about four centuries.
Stage to many key events in the history of Brescia, including its famous Dieci giornate (Ten days), the Castle is today one of Brescia’s most evocative sites, where several elements coexist: evidence of the Roman era, such as the oil warehouses with their Botticino stone tubs, medieval constructions, and a 1909 locomotive, displayed to the delight of younger visitors inside the “Falcone d’Italia” (the Falcon of Italy, one of the Castle’s names).
Within its walls, the Castle also houses two museums: the Luigi Marzoli Arms and Armor Museum and the Museum of the Risorgimento Lioness of Italy.
