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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Seven castles in Lombardy

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

Art & Culture

Museums Cremona

The museums, a meeting with the culture and with the history of Cremona

Art & Culture

Legend of the Seven Brothers

An evocative tale of eight brothers, linked to each other, who lived in the Lecco area

Art & Culture

On the trail of traditional trades

Six destinations to explore crafts and tradition, on the trail of traditional trades in the timeless landscapes of Lombardy.

Art & Culture

Monument Sondrio

Historical, artistic, traditional Sondrio in its many monuments ... and a railway station from which a special train departs

Art & Culture

Museum Sondrio

Centuries of local traditions and alpine identity in its museums

Art & Culture

Seriate, and its charming historic villas

Art & Culture

Castles Cremona

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

Art & Culture

Palazzo d'Arco in Mantua

Everyday life of a noble family in the 18th and 19th Century

Art & Culture

Lombardy's highest steeples and bell towers

There are four bell towers from which to admire the region's beautiful landscapes and squares, all of them over 90 metres high

Art & Culture

Monument Varese

Stately homes, religious buildings, fortifications and UNESCO treasures among the beauties of Varese and its surroundings

Art & Culture

Literary suggestions in Lombardy

Wandering around the region, among places, cities and events that have inspired great authors

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

Theaters Mantua

Sumptuous rooms and golden stages are the setting for the theatrical seasons of Mantua

Art & Culture

Lombardy in 5 Castles

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

Art & Culture

Brescia in a weekend

From the Roman Brixia to the Opera Festival. Discover Brescia in 48 hours. A journey through time, between culture, passion and nightlife

Art & Culture

6 Discovering Lombardy - virtual tour

Museums and castles to visit from your home

Art & Culture

Theaters Bergamo

The theatrical season of Bergamo accompanies us with a flourishing billboard of shows not to be missed

Art & Culture

The cavallera road of the Muretto

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

Art & Culture

What does a Brazilian do at La Scala?

The affairs of Brazil's greatest composer and his connection with La Scala Theater in Milan

Art & Culture