Discovering Brescia’s city walls

Brescia is not, today, a walled city. However, in the past, the city had walls that changed with the city as it grew and the needs of its people changed. The walls also changed and improved in the light of new dangers and military tactics. Today we can still trace – if sometimes with difficulty – the lines of the ancient walls. Along the route of the walls we can see the history of the city: the stones tell us of the legends and historic events through which the city lived. We will begin with the 16th century walls in Largo Torrelunga, and follow them along Via Avogadro and see them become medieval and Roman. We will go up to the castle and descend on its northern side using the “secret” emergency access road. We will enter into the medieval heart of Brescia, passing beneath its towers and following the line of the Citadella Nova Viscontea, which will bring us to the site of the Garzetta fort and then back to our starting point.

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  San Marco bastion in the SE of the city

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  Roman gate near the caslte

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  Main entrance to the castle

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  The "secret" escape road of the castle

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  The Pallata tower

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  The "Burned Tower" - Torre Bruciata

Brescia is not, today, a walled city. However, in the past, the city had walls that changed with the city as it grew and the needs of its people changed. The walls also changed and improved in the light of new dangers and military tactics. Today we can still trace – if sometimes with difficulty – the lines of the ancient walls. Along the route of the walls we can see the history of the city: the stones tell us of the legends and historic events through which the city lived. We will begin with the 16th century walls in Largo Torrelunga, and follow them along Via Avogadro and see them become medieval and Roman. We will go up to the castle and descend on its northern side using the “secret” emergency access road. We will enter into the medieval heart of Brescia, passing beneath its towers and following the line of the Citadella Nova Viscontea, which will bring us to the site of the Garzetta fort and then back to our starting point.

• 

  San Marco bastion in the SE of the city

• 

  Roman gate near the caslte

• 

  Main entrance to the castle

• 

  The "secret" escape road of the castle

• 

  The Pallata tower

• 

  The "Burned Tower" - Torre Bruciata