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 paths of Spriana

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

Art & Culture

Castles in Lombardy

The charm of Lombardy through its castles

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

Castles in Valtellina

A dive into the past between castles and towers in Valtellina

Art & Culture

Immerse yourself online in art in Lombardy

Visit online the architectural beauties, cities, monuments, museums, exhibitions and places of culture in Lombardy

Art & Culture

The life in a farm

Come and discover the charm of an ancient farm!

Art & Culture

OPEN WINDOWS

A new project by the Association Tapirulan

Art & Culture

Milan and its bridges

Art & Culture

Cult City #inLombardia

11 Cities of Art just waiting to be discovered, one after the other, which look to the future while proudly preserving stunning heritage.

Art & Culture

Monuments Monza

There are so many beauties to discover in the city that holds treasures not only in its Cathedral.

Art & Culture

Visit Villa Reale di Monza

A real journey through history from the Habsburgs to the Savoy.

Art & Culture

Museums Pavia

Masterpieces of art, treasures and centuries-old traditions in the museums of Pavia and surroundings

Art & Culture

Castles Bergamo

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

Art & Culture

Museums Lecco

Known above all for 'I Promessi Sposi' by Manzoni, Lecco is also rich in history and culture to be discovered in the Civic Museums

Art & Culture

A journey in Bassa Valtellina among vineyards, districts and historic buildings

The Valtellina you don't expect surprises with its history, crops and food and wine events

Art & Culture

Palazzo d'Arco in Mantua

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

Art & Culture

The sound of Stradivari

Live performances with the instruments of the collections of the Violin’s Museum.

Art & Culture

Castles and fortifications around Lake Como

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

Art & Culture

Arlecchino and Brighella

Famous masks of the Italian Carnival tradition

Art & Culture

Nose up in the streets of Milan

We wander around the city observing plaques and inscriptions

Art & Culture