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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

Nose up in the streets of Milan

We wander around the city observing plaques and inscriptions

Art & Culture

#inLombardy, culture doesn't go on vacation

Take advantage of summer tranquility in the city, discover Milan and other Cult Cities in Lombardy

Art & Culture

6 Things to Do with Children

Child-friendly entertainment and culture

Art & Culture

Museums in Lombardy

Some suggestions on museums to visit in Milan and outside the Lombard capital

Art & Culture

Mario Baciocchi's footprints in Milan

A great architect....

Art & Culture

Museums Mantua

Indelible traces of a past full of history and emblematic characters. Museums tell us about the rich biography of the territory

Art & Culture

Soncino - the water system

Special guided tours for those who are keen to learn

Art & Culture

Theaters Pavia

Opera, prose, dance and theatrical review .... the theater in Pavia and the province is staged

Art & Culture

Monuments Lecco

From Manzoni to Stoppani: Lecco through the monuments

Art & Culture

Castles and fortifications around Lake Como

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

Art & Culture

Lombardy in 5 Castles

Impregnable fortresses, with enchanting lake views, legends of ghosts. Five castles in Lombardy to be visited

Art & Culture

The cavallera road of the Muretto

An ancient alpine connecting corridor, a transit route for goods, people and culture

Art & Culture

Treasure Hunt in the Monza Area of Brianza

Splendid villas, ancient basilicas, noble palazzos. The Monza area of Brianza is full of treasures to discover

Art & Culture

The Violin’s Museum

on Google Arts & Culture!

Art & Culture

Marta and the Elephant

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

Art & Culture

7 art capitals an hour away by train from Milan

Art & Culture

Monuments Lodi

In the center of Lodi you can see buildings and monuments that are real architectural and decorative jewels

Art & Culture

Bergamo Bassa

In Bergamo the visit starts from the bottom of the town, from its historic villages, and goes on by climbing slowly

Art & Culture

Castles Bergamo

Bergamo saw in the past the proliferation of fortifications. Many, today, castles to visit

Art & Culture

10 good reasons visit Pavia

Art & Culture