Santa Giulia

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Brescia, Desiderius and the Lombards
The Monastery of S. Salvatore and Santa Giulia
The Museum
Itineraries of Brescia, Museums, Churches, Places and Monuments
Itinerary
Activities
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Sports

The geographical extent of the province of Brescia and its variety of landscapes, which include large expanses of plain, lakes, hills, and high mountains with perpetual snow, allow the practice of very varied sports. Skiing can be enjoyed all the year round on the Presena glacier which, in winter, offers the adjoining ski-runs of Ponte di Legno and Passo del Tonale. Montecampione, Borno, San Pietro Aprica, Gaver, Passo del Maniva and Collio-Pezzeda are other important winter resorts.
Exciting snow excursions by dogsled can be made, by contacting the Scuola Italiana of Ponte di Legno. Whoever loves wind and water has the opportunity of trying important regattas on the Brescian lakes. The presence of strong winds on northern Lake Garda makes for good windsurfing.
Pleasant horse-riding excursions can be taken all over the province: particularly exciting are those in the park of the river Oglio, on the morainic hills of Lake Garda and in Franciacorta.
The Brescian hills and mountain streams are ideal spots for practising new sports such as hang-gliding, paragliding, canoeing or rafting.

Parks and Nature

The Brescian environment offers areas of great natural and landscape interest. The Stelvio National Park, with a very rich flora (over two thousand species of flowers), is inhabited by all the great mammals typical of alpine region: chamois, ibex, roe deer and deer. Notable also is the presence of marmots, squirrels, hares, beech-martens, weasels, foxes and badgers; among birds to be observed is the golden eagle. The adjoining Regional Natural Park of Adamello, covering an area of almost 50,000 hectares, is a place of great natural interest; together with the bordering Trentine Park of Adamello – Brenta, it forms one of the largest protected areas of the Alps. Equally concerned with the preservation of the natural environment, is the Regional Park of the river Oglio and the Park of the Brescian upper Garda. The former still keeps large expanses of woodland along the curves of the river, while the latter offers striking contrasts in climate: Mediterranean at low altitudes and definitely alpine on the higher mountains. Particularly interesting are the pyramids of Zone, very high natural spires topped with boulders, and the grottos and caves of the Karst plateau of Canadeghe di Serle, near Brescia.

Thermal Spas and Health

Well-known thermal spas and modern, well-equipped health farms offer restoring sojourns and "wellbeing"-holidays at either the lakes or mountains. In the heart of Lake Garda, near the ruins of Catullo’s villa and the picturesque castle of the Della Scala family, we can find the thermal spas of Sirmione, which have been highly praised and classified by the Ministry of Health.
These are renowned for their treatment centres for rhinological deafness, lung illnesses, osteoarticular illnesses and peripheral, venous, vascular illnesses.
Also the thermal spas of Boario, in Valle Camonica , are classified at superior level; these have been renowned since ancient times for the treatment and prevention of illnesses of the liver, bile-ducts and intestine.
Nowadays they also treat hypertension, stomach and urinary-ducts illnesses and they offer rehabilitative therapies.
The nearby thermal spas of Angolo, situated at the entrance of a charming alpine valley, offer treatment for the digestive system, and are well-equipped to provide relaxation and sports.
Among other thermal spas, we should not forget Vallio Terme, situated exactly between Brescia and Lake Garda, and Ome, situated among the hilly vineyards of Franciacorta.

Folklore and Tradition

Brescia has been able to keep up many of its popular traditions which, especially in recent years, have been restored to their original content. The feast of the Patron Saints of Brescia, Faustino and Giovita, on the 15th February, includes the traditional stall market (one of the biggest in northern Italy), the fireworks on the evening of the 14th, the procession every five years, and a series of cultural events throughout the month. On the second Sunday of July, in Montisola, they celebrate the feast of the Madonna della Ceriola. The exposition of the treasure of the "Holy Crosses" takes place every Friday in March and on the 14th September every year, in the new cathedral in Brescia. Particularly spectacular are other recurring liturgical dates, such as the Feast of the Holy Cross, every five years in Carzano di Montisola, and the Santa Crus, every ten years in Cerveno. Among the profane feasts is the carnival of Bagolino. Many town councils celebrate the rite of the rogo della Vecchia at mid-Lent.
In the mountain valleys, very ancient traditions, once common to all the populations of the arc of Adria Alps, are still alive. These are the feast of the Epiphany and the canto della Stella, kept up between southern Valle Trompia and Lake Garda and the cattura del Badalisk, an ancestral rite of tribal purification, in the village Andrista of Cevo di Valsaviore.

Events and Dates, Past and Present

The most attractive annual date, which brings together crowds of automobile enthusiasts and onlookers, is certainly the Mille Miglia Storica, a car race which, every year at the beginning of May, counts over 350 cars at its starting line. These are cars strictly selected from the models which took part in the first competitions. They can all be admired around Piazza Vittoria, the historical seat of numbering the cars operations.

Another sports event at international level is the Centomiglia, the regatta which takes place at the beginning of September on Lake Garda. Among cultural events, we recommend the International Piano Festival Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in Brescia and the summer performances at the Vittoriale of Gardone Riviera. The historical evocations are a great attraction for enthusiasts: among them is that of the Maclodio battle, a decisive victory for the Earl of Carmagnola and the Venetians over the Milanese troops, which occurs every five years. As interesting is the exhibition Luoghi di tradizione e di lavoro, which takes place in the last week of August in the old town centre of Bienno. Besides exhibitions of handicraft and antiques, we can find the reconstruction of old shops and the presentation of ancient life-styles.
Finally, among the strongholds and the hills of lower Lake Garda around Sirmione, in September, there is the Festival delle rievocazioni storiche "Terre di Lugana".