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| A Roman statue of Victory, found in Brescia |
14.8.25
On the Torre Coltrina, with a great view south across the city, the Loggia just visible. Huge castle here – I had no idea Italy had such large medieval constructions. A high outer wall then another inner one, both daunting. Built on a natural hill, this place must have been impregnable for centuries.
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| A view of Brescia from the Torre Coltrina |
Waiting to enter the Roman ruins, which open at 10am. Steep stairs down from the castle, great views across the city. In the historical museum area, very quiet, lots of back streets, many doubtless following ancient ways. By the Roman theatre, reasonable preservation. Seats broken but visible. Reached by a system of galleries called vomitoria. Really.
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| Roman amphitheatre, with vomitoria |
Waiting to be conducted to the Roman museum here, even though the ticket said to go straight in… Ah well, Italy. On the non-guided tour (sic), to see the 1st century BCE frescoes. Good video showing the rise of Brixia – rather impressive temple and forum plus city. Amazingly well preserved mosaic floor and frescoes – all 89 to 75 BCE. Interesting wall design – like book bindings. Trompe l’oeil fabrics beneath. Real columns and painted ones. Frieze along the top with geometric patterns – Cretan swastika, nested squares.
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| Frescoes and mosaics from two thousand years ago |
Up into the main temple, or a reconstruction of it. Bronze winged Victory mid 1st century CE. Very impressive. Pleats of the dress, and feathers of the wings amazing. Lucky it survived. Interesting “air lock” system: two sets of doors between main temple spaces. You enter a small space between them. The door closes, and the other door opens to view the Victory. Keeps air cool. Very strict on enforcing it.
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| A curious inscription |
Back to a hall with hundreds of inscriptions - most real, some painted because still in situ. Impressive how many have been found. One inscription seems to have Germanic runes on it…
Along to the old cathedral. Naturally three metres below current levels (reminds me of Esna). As a result, the inside looks much bigger than the outside – a medieval Tardis. The round form is both powerful and simple; echoing the round Romanesque arches. Huge pillars, immensely thick. Unusual design, with choir off main space, deep crypt below. To the crypt – that cold, dank smell. From 838, as is the church, according to the inscriptions.
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| The old, circular cathedral |
Coffee in Piazza Paolo VI. Good view of the old and new cathedrals and Broletto tower. New cathedral facade has rounded and square pilasters with composite capitals - Ionic and Corinthian. Extravagant broken curved pediment over the entrance.
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| On the way to the Piazza della Loggia, via the suspended rhinoceros |
Air humid, sky overcast but bright, gentle breeze. Perfect for sightseeing. To Piazza della Loggia. I’d forgotten about the clock opposite – very like the one in Venice. Eating in L’oste sobrio, where they have banged us up by the fridge and toilets. Not happy. Terrible service – forgot about my food completely. Ironically, when it did arrive, it was quite tasty…
To Pinacoteca Martinengo. We’re practically the only visitors, of course. A room with some great frescoes – one with a huge, shaggy dog. Another room, with two Raphaels – real ones. Weird pic by Moretto – Last Supper. Christ has a hippy hat with badges, and a shell pinned on the left shoulder. Pilgrim symbols, apparently. The maid is carrying a dish of what looks like roast monkey, and none too fresh. Striking pic of Christ and Veronica, with lots of soldiers looking fearful. By Il Cariani.
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| Christ and Veronica, by Il Cariani |
Into a big hall, walls covered in blood-red cloth (other rooms were a glorious cobalt blue). Fab pic by Moretto of nativity scene - very grand, very effective. With a triplet of angels floating above, holding a scroll: “deus homo factus est”. Like the three boys in the Magic Flute. A smaller Moretto of the passion of Christ: him grey and resigned, the angel convincingly distraught.
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| A melancholy beggar |
A six-string double bass from 1610, majolica. Two paintings by the Anguissola sisters, the one by Sofonisba very fine. A room full of pix by Giacomo Ceruti, also known as Pitocchetto – scenes of popular life. Two beggars in a wood – haunting gaze of a blind (?) beggar. Another of a seated beggar, gazing with infinite sadness…
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| Abraham and Isaac |
Amazing sculpture of Abraham and Isaac, copy of Simon Troger, in wood and ivory. Brilliant use of vertical forms to capture the angel’s intervention. Unusual meeting of Jacob and Esau by Francesco Hayez (1844). Like one by Holman Hunt… Beautiful marble version of Laocoön and his sons by Luigi Ferrari.
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| Laocoön and his sons |
To the Santa Giulia museum, big, modern inside – and with aircon. Some fine bronze heads found on the Roman site – Messerschmidt, but not screaming. Amazing excavations under the Santa Giulia monastery – a house with extensive frescoes. Beautiful, an almost complete mosaic of Bacchus and his pards (just one). This domus only discovered in 1967. Too much to see here, in one of the best museums of its kind that I have visited. We leave, delighted and exhausted.
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| Roman heads, not screaming |
Now tanking up with coffee and carbs before the drive back after a great day. Brixia/Brescia is just fab.
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