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

The show is online in Lombardy

The show continues at home, in Lombardy. Discover the plays, films, concerts, videos and podcasts available for free online

Art & Culture

The paths of Spriana

To visit Spriana is to step into the past, discovering a small farming village

Art & Culture

The Rainbow Quarter

Art & Culture

Monuments Cremona

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

Art & Culture

Monuments Lecco

From Manzoni to Stoppani: Lecco through the monuments

Art & Culture

Walking through time between Grosio and Grosotto

The most extensive historiated rock in Europe

Art & Culture

Milan and its bridges

Art & Culture

Mario Baciocchi's footprints in Milan

A great architect....

Art & Culture

Discovering Pordenone

Art & Culture

Museums Milan

A list of museums that we recommend to visit, from paintings to statues, from technology to nature

Art & Culture

Santo Stefano Ticino

A village to be discovered near Milan

Art & Culture

Castles in Valtellina

A dive into the past between castles and towers in Valtellina

Art & Culture

Between ancient memories and majestic landscapes

Cultural itinerary in lower Valtellina

Art & Culture

11 addresses for villas and parks

Relive the charm of the past between villas, parks and castles in Lombardy

Art & Culture

Castles Mantua

The Mincio marked for centuries the border of important possessions. The landscape was characterized by new castles in key places

Art & Culture

Visit the interactive exhibit Leonardo3. The World of Leonardo

Discover the works of Leonardo Da Vinci as you've never seen before

Art & Culture

Theaters in Lombardy

Milan a city rich in theaters that are also famous internationally. But not only that: do not exclude other provinces such as Pavia and Mantua

Art & Culture

Castles Lodi

The history of a glorious past between the castles and fortresses of the Lodi area

Art & Culture

Monuments Milan

Milan is rich in historical and artistic monuments of the highest value that bear witness to the history of the Lombard capital

Art & Culture

A day at the National Museum Leonardo da Vinci

One of the largest science and technology museums in Europe

Art & Culture