Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
garden (Ortaglia) near the north cloister. The remains have thus come to be known as the
Domus dell'Ortaglia
and have been protected by the monastery walls through the centuries.
Raised walkways allow you to wander round the
Domus di Dioniso
(so called because of a
mosaic of Dionysius, god of the grapevine) and the
Domus delle Fontane
(so called because
of two marble fountains in it). The beautiful floor mosaics and colourful frescoes are real
highlights.
Piazza Paolo VI
The 11th-century
Duomo Vecchio
(Old Cathedral; Piazza Paolo VI; 9am-noon & 3-6pm Wed-Sat,
9-10.45am & 3-6pm Sun)
is a rare example of a circular-plan Romanesque basilica, built over
a 6th-century church. Interesting features include fragmentary floor mosaics and the elab-
orate 14th-century sarcophagus of Bishop Berado Maggi.
Next door, the
Duomo Nuovo
(New Cathedral; Piazza Paolo VI; 7.30am-noon & 4-7pm Mon-Sat,
8am-1pm & 4-7pm Sun)
, dating from 1604, dwarfs its neighbour but is of less interest.
PIAZZA
Museo Mille Miglia
( 030 336 56 31;
www.museomillemiglia.it
;
Viale della Rimembranza 3; adult/reduced €7/5;
10am-6pm)
The Mille Miglia was an annual classic Italian car race held between 1927 and
1957. It started and ended in Brescia and took around 16 hours to complete over 1000
miles. The colourful museum is loaded with some of the great cars to cross the finish line.
The museum is housed outside central Brescia in the sprawling 11th-century Monastero
di Sant'Eufemia della Fonte.
MUSEUM
Sleeping & Eating
Risotto, beef dishes and
lumache alla Bresciana
(snails cooked with Parmesan cheese and
fresh spinach) are common in Brescia. Via Beccaria is the small but fiercely pumping
heart of the evening action. Corso Cavour, Via Gabriele Rosa and Piazza Paolo VI are
lined with casual dining options.
Albergo Orologio
( 030 375 54 11;
www.albergoorologio.it
; Via Beccaria 17; s €85-150, d €110-200; )
Located right by the clock tower in the pedestrianised old town, this boutique hotel has
fine art and artefacts, soft gold, brown and olive furnishings and terracotta floors. It has
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
€€
