Five Art Refuges in the City

We can reveal some of the finest, most beautiful spaces that perhaps you did not know about

Every city has its hidden spots, where the dynamic nature and the hustle of daily living makes way for tranquillity and artistic contemplation.

Everything changes in the city, continuously evolving and transforming. We don’t often find the time to stop and look at everything around us; we don’t always give art the opportunity to guide us through moments of peace and contemplation.

Lombardy has plenty of places to showcase art, culture and history; spaces where you can rediscover the pleasure of beautiful things, immersing yourselves in the historic atmospheres of ancient palazzos and the prestige of cultural institutions that have preserved their elegance over time.

In the province's five capitals we can reveal some of the finest, most beautiful spaces that perhaps you did not know about, and where you can spend some time reading, walking through loggias or enjoying a coffee in a frescoed room.

Discover some of the region’s hidden cultural treasures.

Rotonda della Besana, Milan — To the north east of Milan the Rotonda della Besana stands out in its urban setting. This is a singular late-baroque building, where art and religious tourism come together. This fascinating, charming monument takes its name from the church - now deconsecrated - inside the brick portico. There was once a chapel in the centre of the burial area used for the dead from the Ospedale Maggiore, later converted to a church in 1695 and surrounded by a portico.

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Biblioteca Teresiana, Mantua — Mantua's cultural treasures include the Biblioteca Teresiana, a library and an enchanting surprise amidst the city’s precious historic and literary heritage. It is just a stone’s throw from Piazza Dante, in the heart of the city and was founded in 1780 at the wishes of Maria Theresa of Austria, to whom the two sumptuous rooms of the library are dedicated. The first floor is home to the Palazzo degli Studi, a former Jesuit College, converted as part of the programme of cultural secularisation and reform of institutions by the Austrian empress.

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Teatro Grande, Brescia — An artistic and cultural institution of great prestige, the Teatro Grande is a traditional opera treasure, with charming rooms and surprises to reveal. It stands on the very site where, in 1664, Brescia’s first public theatre was built, with the modern-day auditorium, built in 1810, from designs by architect Luigi Canonica and decorated by Girolamo Magnani in 1862. The stage still has part of its 19th-century structure and the boards have been trodden by some of the greatest artists in Italian opera.

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Palazzo Bottigella Gandini, Pavia — Hidden among Pavia’s historic buildings is Palazzo Bottigella-Gandini, restored and now a space for contemporary art exhibitions. Pavia is a city just waiting to be explored, where you can lose yourselves in its cobbled streets and breathe in the atmosphere of its historic buildings. Very close to the Piazza del Municipio, a stone’s throw from the sumptuous structures that house the City Council we come to a large gateway looking onto the splendid Renaissance courtyard.

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Chiostro di Sant'Agostino, Bergamo — The recently restored Chiostro Minore, the smaller cloister of the former Monastery of Sant’Agostino provides a space for dialogue and meeting in an artistic and spiritual setting. Visiting Upper Bergamo is always a good idea when you want to experience an atmosphere suspended in time. The numerous places consecrated to culture include the former Monastery of Sant’Agostino is a space to discover, with plenty to fascinate and enchant the visitor.

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Marta and the Elephant

The event is the pre-view of Stefano Bombardieri's exhibition at Fodri Palace

Art & Culture

Online i modelli di Stradivari dell’MdV

On Google Arts & Culture!

Art & Culture

Castles Cremona

Crossroads of trade and area of strong agricultural production, the Cremonese territory has always been guarded by castles

Art & Culture

Pezzotti from Valtellina

Perhaps the most famous artisan product from Valtellina, the “pezzotto” is a very resistant fabric made using scraps of fabric, hand-woven at the loom.

Art & Culture

Seven castles in Lombardy

From Lake Garda to Valtellina by way of Milan. Among crenellated walls, towers and porticoed loggias

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The villages of the Lower Valtellina between adventure and relaxation

Art & Culture

Lombardy in Paintings by Great Italian Artists

The paintings that most beautifully capture Lombardy's scenery, an immersion in the region's landscapes and cityscapes

Art & Culture

Castles and fortifications around Lake Como

Several testimonies of a past rich in history, all to discover

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The Fourteen Chapels of the Sacro Monte di Varese

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Bergamo in a weekend

A perfect square, the masterpieces of the Carrara Academy, the Venetian Walls Unesco World Heritage Site. Discover Bergamo!

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The Longobard heritage of Pavia

A journey of discovery to uncover the ancient civilisation of the Longobards through the history of the city of Pavia.

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Monuments Cremona

Cremona: a splendid city of art with a sober elegance and many monuments, to be visited on foot or by bicycle

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Alessandro Manzoni Itinerary

Lombardy blends nature and culture in an itinerary that will take you to the locations of his famous novel The Betrothed

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Visits to the violin-making workshops

An unique and unforgettable experience

Art & Culture

Seven art works to discover in Milan

An artistic itinerary through the streets of Milan, discovering works that transform the city into an open-air gallery.

Art & Culture

Soncino - the water system

Special guided tours for those who are keen to learn

Art & Culture

Urban sculptures and works of art: Lombardy's open-air museum

Lesser known statues, monuments, and works of art, concealed within the streets and piazzas of Lombardy's cities: a prestigious artistic heritage is waiting to be discovered