• Art & Culture

Five Art Refuges in the City

We can reveal some of the finest, most beautiful spaces that perhaps you did not know about

from IN-LOMBARDIA.IT

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

On the same topic

Show all

Museums Brescia

Brescia: the ideal destination for those who love art. Countless opportunities to visit exhibitions and to attend cultural events
Museums Brescia, hints on visiting
  • Art & Culture

Castles and fortifications around Lake Como

Several testimonies of a past rich in history, all to discover
@primalavaltellina.it
  • Art & Culture

Festival of Ethical Photography

Responsible photojournalism: The Festival of Ethical Photography
Festival della Fotografia Etica
  • Art & Culture

The festival of Saint Bassianus in Lodi

Head to the centre of Lodi to celebrate the city's patron saint and discover a variety of traditions and handicrafts
Fiera di San Bassiano_Lodi
  • 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
sere d'estate @inLombardia
  • 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
La Lombardia nei quadri dei grandi pittori italiani
  • Art & Culture

The Longobard heritage of Pavia

A journey of discovery to uncover the ancient civilisation of the Longobards through the history of the city of Pavia.
The Longobard heritage of Pavia
  • Art & Culture

Museums Lodi

The museum reality of Lodi is heterogeneous. It preserves naturalistic and scientific collections, archaeological and art collections
Museums Lodi, exploring Lombardy
  • Art & Culture

Marian Itinerary Brianza

The path of the rose that connects 25 Marian shrines
Marian itinerary in Brianza, the path of the Rose
  • 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
What does a Brazilian do at La Scala in Milan?
  • Art & Culture

The magic of Varesotto's castles

A tour of Varesotto's castles: an itinerary to discover a regional area where time seems to stand still.
The magic of Varesotto's castles
  • Art & Culture

The Violin’s Museum

on Google Arts & Culture!
  • 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
Historical places and green areas in Bergamo
  • Art & Culture

5 medieval monuments in Lodi

A journey of discovery through the Middle Ages, from Borghetto Lodigiano to Lodi.
Palazzo Rho_Borghetto Lodigiano
  • Art & Culture

Visit Villa Reale di Monza

A real journey through history from the Habsburgs to the Savoy.
Camera
  • Art & Culture

Amaryllis Fleming Cello

A new masterpiece at the Violin's Museum
  • Art & Culture

Castles Brescia

From Sirmione to Breno, from Desenzano to Padernello, a journey through the fortified manors to the discovery of local history
Castles Brescia, discovering Lombardy
  • Art & Culture

Open museums in Lombardy: an ode to female talent 

Lombardy’s museums are once again welcoming the public, art lovers, and other visitors with a wealth of exhibitions dedicated to women: artists, works of art, and mythological figures who have inspired exhibitions and shows
  • Art & Culture

Mario Baciocchi's footprints in Milan

A great architect....
  • Art & Culture

The Cloister of Voltorre

The monastic art of the Cloister of Voltorre
The monastic art of The Cloister of Voltorre
  • Art & Culture