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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Lago di Iseo: history, nature and…

From the recently rediscovered Roman spa in Predore to the Liberty architecture of Sarnico, via the enchanting town of Lovere and surprising natural phenomena

Art & Culture

Lorenzo Lotto Itinerary

In Bergamo on the trail of Lorenzo Lotto, one of the leading exponents of the Italian Renaissance

Art & Culture

The villages of the Lower Valtellina between adventure and relaxation

Art & Culture

Summer nights with lights and magic

After-dark visits to Lombardy’s castles, stately homes and villages, all lit up for the occasion

Art & Culture

Following Leonardo's footsteps in Milan

Art & Culture

Marian Itinerary Brianza

The path of the rose that connects 25 Marian shrines

Art & Culture

7 art capitals an hour away by train from Milan

Art & Culture

The historic houses of Bergamo

Gardens, art, culture and beauty: the historic homes of the noble families of Bergamo are well worth a visit.

Art & Culture

Mantua Culture Capital 2016

Mantua city of art, capital of culture

Art & Culture

Castles Pavia

Towers, walls, ditches .. a journey between fortresses and sumptuous historic houses

Art & Culture

Seven castles in Lombardy

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

Art & Culture

Arlecchino and Brighella

Famous masks of the Italian Carnival tradition

Art & Culture

Varese pursuing new horizons

Art & Culture

Angera and the Open Air Museum

A beautiful lakefront and a very picturesque aura in the province of Varese

Art & Culture

The Ghost of Manigunda

In Varese the legend of the ghost of Manigunda to the monastery

Art & Culture

Vaprio d adda

Halfway between Bergamo and Milan it is located on the border between the two provinces marked by the river Adda, on the Milanese side

Art & Culture

A Day in Pavia

When organizing your trip to Lombardy do not forget to visit Pavia

Art & Culture

Tempio dell’Incoronata

A visit to the Tempio dell’Incoronata and the Museo del Tesoro

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

STAI 2: Services for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism

Art & Culture