CONFERENCE VENUE

VILLA FENAROLI PALACE HOTEL
Via Giuseppe Mazzini 14
25086 Rezzato (BS)
Ph.: +39 030 2793223
Villa Fenaroli Palace Hotel is a prestigious hotel and conference centre built on an ancient villa dating back to the XVI century and belonging to the noble families Avogadro and Fenaroli. It is located just a few kilometres from the city centre of Brescia, in the heart of Lombardy.

 

ROOM SCALABRINI

BRESCIA
Brescia is Lombardy’s second biggest city, after Milan, a prosperous and lively university town located between two of Italy’s most famous lakes, Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, Brescia has one of the most beautiful historic centres in the region, and some of the best Roman and Lombard remains in northern Italy.

HISTORY
The city of Brescia lies at the foot of the hills below the Pre-Alps, bordering on the Po Plain. Its situation is favourable to town settlement, industry, trade and tourism. The first settlement goes back to the Bronze Age, when the Ligurians established in Brescia. Later the Etruscans settled there, while the Celts occupied the city at the end of the 7th century B.C. In 27 B.C.
Brixia was raised to the rank of Roman "Colonia".
At the time of the dissolution of the Roman Empire, Brescia became the capital of a Lombard duchy (7th century A.D.). During this period the convent of S. Salvatore (later called Santa Giulia) was founded by King Desiderio. Its cloisters are the setting Alessandro Manzoni chose for "Adelchi"; the famous tragedy tells the story of Ermengarda, the king's unhappy daughter married to Charlemagne, the king of the Franks who subdued the city.
In the 11th century Brescia became a city-state and took part in the struggle against Federico Barbarossa at Legnano. In this period the local citizen Arnaldo, who was a monk, was burned alive because he preached against the corruption of the clergy and was considered a heretic.
During the 13th century Milan and Venice disputed the rule of Brescia. In 1438 the Visconti besieged the city, but there is a popular belief that Saints Faustino and Giovita appeared to the enemies and managed to put them to flight.
In 1512 Brescia was besieged by the French army led by Gaston de Foix. During the 16th century in the artistic field the painters Foppa, Romanino, Moretto and Savoldo created the most famous works of the Brescian Renaissance, which are now in the Municipal Art Gallery and churches. Afterwards, under the rule of Venice, Brescia prospered.
The long period of peace brought great economic progress in agriculture and handicraft, especially in the manufacture of arms, which was renowned all over Europe.
At the end of the 18th century, the French army led by Napoleon put an end to Venetian rule, so Brescia became part of the Cisalpine Republic and of the Regno d'Italia.
On the fall of Napoleon, Brescia became a possession of the Austrians. They governed the city as part of the Regno Lombardo Veneto until 1849, when the people of Brescia rebelled against Austrian rule during the "X Giornate" (Ten Days) of 1849.
The city was called the "Leonessa d'Italia" (the Lioness of Italy) because of the courage showed during these memorable days. After the unification of the Regno d'Italia, the Brescian citizen Giuseppe Zanardelli was appointed Minister several times, then he became Prime Minister (1901-1903).
During the Thirties Piazza della Vittoria was inaugurated. The square was an important example of the change of direction in Brescia's urban development during the Fascist period.
During the post-war period there was an enormous increase in industrial production and private enterprise and Brescia became a very important industrial centre. Giovanni Battista Montini, who became Pope by the name of Paolo VI, is one of the most distinguished Brescian citizens. The square that was formerly called Piazza del Duomo is named after him. Nowadays the southern area of the city called "Brescia Due" is considered a model of modernity.

CHURCHES AND MUSEUMS

The Duomo Vecchio or “Rotonda”: a Romanesque building on a circular plan surmounted by a tambour with conical roof. Its interior consists of a central space formed by eight pilasters that support a majestic dome. From the lower level, one descends to the crypt of San Filastro, constructed using Roman and Byzantine materials from the preceding basilica. The Rotonda contains interesting paintings by Romanino and Moretto and the sarcophagus of Bishop Berardo Maggi (1308).

The Duomo Nuovo: construction began in 1604 but was not finished until 1825, when the dome was completed. Due to the slow pace of construction, its style is anything but homogeneous: one notices this immediately in the majestic façade, which has a Baroque lower part and is Neoclassic over the portal. The interior has a Greek cross plan with columns and pilasters supporting an 80-meter high dome. The church preserves many sculptures and paintings from the Renaissance on.

San Francesco: an exquisite example of a Franciscan monastery, constructed in the 13th century in a late Romanesque style. Its simple façade encloses a splendid rose window. Eventhe interior is characterized by a simple style, but it preserves important works, frescoes and paintings including a masterpiece by Romanino. The splendid cloister built in 1394, with its red marble columns, is also worth a visit.

Santi Nazario e Celso: This church is worth a visit just for one masterpiece it contains: the Averoldi polyptych by Titian.

Santa Maria dei Miracoli: this church is considered a jewel of Lombard Renaissance sculpture. It was constructed to celebrate a miraculous image of the Madonna tat was painted on the wall of a nearby house. The sacred image is now kept in the church's apse. The façade was decorated by master sculptors who worked on the construction of the Loggia during the same period.

Museo della Città - Monastery of Santa Giulia: this incredible museum is one of the most important complexes of the early middle ages in Northern Italy. Founded in 753 by the Lombard King Desiderio, the monastery was expanded several times until the Renaissance.
The complex contains the Basilica of San Salvatore, of Lombard origin, the Church of Santa Giulia, the Church of Santa Maria in Solario, which houses the Treasure of Santa Giulia, and three Renaissance cloisters. Three Roman villas were discovered under the larger cloister, the Domus dell’Ortaglia. The monastery area was acquired by the Municipality, which has turned the Church of Santa Giulia into the “Museo della Città” where one can follow the history of Brescia from the Bronze Age through to the Renaissance. The museum regularly hosts large art shows.

Museum of Ancient Arms: the museum is located in the Castello di Brescia and is one of the most important collections of ancient arms in Europe. The visitor will find himself surrounded by over 500 weapons and armour fabricated in Italy and Europe from the 15th to the 18th centuries. There are very rare pieces, masterpieces of technique and refinement and many made in Brescia. The museum also contains the remains of a Roman temple found during excavations.

Pinacoteca Civica Tosio-Martinengo: this is one of the most important Italian painting collections. The works on display range from the 13th to 18th centuries. The main nucleus consists of paintings by Renaissance Brescian masters such as Foppa, Romanino, Moretto and Savoldo; to these are added masterpieces by Raffaello, Paolo Veneziano, Lotto and others. The Pinacoteca also hosts many works coming from city palaces and churches. The museum organizes extremely important art exhibits on a regular basis.

Museo del Risorgimento: the museum traces the history of Italian Unification from the end of Venetian domination until 1870. The collection contains a great many canvases, prints, letters, announcements, decrees, coins and knickknacks from that period.

HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS
Tempio Capitolino e Teatro Romano: the temple, constructed in 74 BC enclosed the ancient forum on its north side. A marble staircase leads to the temple façade, formed by 6 columns. Inside the temple, there were 3 cells with marble floors. On the side, there is the theatre, constructed in the 1st century BC and renovated in the 2nd century. The theatre stands on a hill, in the Greek style, and hosted as many as 15,000 spectators.

The Castle: it is located on the top of the Colle Cidneo, in a scenic position overlooking the city. This was the settlement of the city's first inhabitants and later the Romans built an enormous temple on the site. It is one of the most important fortified complexes in Italy and was constructed in various stages beginning from the 12th century to the Venetian period. It is a true fortified citadel with towers, bulwarks, buildings, courtyards, drawbridges and cellars that can be visited and that house the Museo delle Armi Antiche and the Museo del Risorgimento. The gardens are also worth a visit and, in the summer, the Brescians transform them into a much loved meeting point.

Piazza della Loggia: the piazza was designed in 1433, commissioned by the mayor, Marco Foscari, to give the Brescian nobility a new place to gather. The piazza became the centre of the city's political and economic life. It was not completed until a century later. Gradually, the Loggia, Monte Vecchio and Monte Nuovo di Pietà, with its porticos and clock tower were constructed. The Loggia was the city's public building and is the city hall today. Some of the greatest architects of the day contributed to the design, such as Sansovino and Palladio. The ship's keel dome was destroyed by fire in 1575 and it was only in 1915 that it was decided to rebuild it in lead following the original design. The rich sculptural decorations adorning the palazzo are also worthy of note. The Monte Vecchio di Pietà is the oldest building on the piazza and is an example of the Venetian Renaissance style. It is decorated with ancient Roman stones found during excavations for the construction of the piazza and arranged in the façade by the city government of the time. On the side opposite the Loggia, in the centre of an elegant Venetian portico, you will find the Clock Tower. This 14th-century tower houses a precious mechanical astronomical clock, plated in gold, portraying the sun and the signs of the zodiac. On the top of the tower, you can see two statues nicknamed “i macc de le ure” (the madmen of the hours), who strike the hours on the bell.

The Broletto: dominated by the 11th-century Torre del Pégol , the monument is one of the most important Medieval Lombard palaces. What you see today, is the result of various superimposed buildings: the stone part is the oldest, while the terra cotta parts is latter. The palazzo also incorporates the façade of the preceding Romanesque church of Sant’Agostino.

The Mercato dei Grani: it is located in Piazzale Arnaldo, one of the most fascinating piazzas of Brescia. The palazzo was used as a grain market and is a magnificent example of how public utility can be combined with great aesthetic concepts. The piazza's tall statue commemorates Arnaldo, a 12th-century monk condemned to death as a heretic for having publicly condemned the corruption of the Brescian clergy. In the piazza at the corner with Porta Venezia, you will find Zilioli, one of the city's most famous pastry shops, which is a good place to take a break.

EATING AND DRINKING
The most representative dish in the Brescia culinary tradition is casonsèi, large ravioli stuffed with Parmesan cheese, spinach and eggs. Other popular dishes are strangolapreti ("priest stranglers"), elongated dumplings made of spinach, bread, eggs and cheese. From Mantua, we have the tradition of tortelli di zucca, stuffed with pumpkin, almond cookies, fruit mustard, raisins and pine nuts. A real delicacy! Also not to be missed, especially in the fall and winter, is polenta taragna, made from buckwheat, cream cheese and butter. Among the soups, mariconda is typical: bread and egg dumplings flavoured with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese and cooked in broth.
Among the meats, Brescian gastronomy offers tripe, lepre in salmì (wild hare), mixed kabobs and uccelli scappati ("escaped birds"), which, the name notwithstanding, is actually pork wrapped in sage leaves. Also, typical, manzo all’olio, a very popular braised beef dish. One dish much loved by Brescians is polenta and game birds, which is eaten during hunting season.
Lake Iseo fish is highly-prized: try the baked tench with polenta. And for those with strong palates, there's lumache alla bresciana, snails cooked with spinach and seasoned with abundant grated Parmesan cheese.
Cheeses: from the mountains, we have puìna (a cow's milk ricotta), rosa camuna and the goat's milk cheeses, while the plains provide robiola and quartirolo; from the Lake Garda area, we have the famous formagelle di Tremosine. A very aromatic cheese called bagòss deserves a special mention; it is made from the milk of cows that have grazed in the summer mountain pastures, rich with wildflowers and aromatic herbs, and then aged for two years.
Wine: perhaps due to the influence of Venice, the Brescians are notoriously great wine-lovers and there is certainly no lack of production in Brescia: from Barbera, Marzemino, Schiava and Sangiovese grapes come the DOC reds such as Botticino and Cellatica. The hills of Lake Garda have two areas of DOC cultivation: Lugana, a dry white, and Garda Classico, which can be white, red or rosé.
Even more famous are the wines of Franciacorta, an area south of Lake Iseo: whites, rosés and reds, or a prestigious sparkling wine. Franciacorta DOCG is the most prized Italian sparkling wine, produced from Chardonnay and/or Pinot nero and/or Pinot bianco grapes. The characteristics of Franciacorta wines are: fine, persistent perlage; deep straw yellow colour with greenish highlights; a mellow, but decisive, scent of yeast accompanied by delicate hints of dried fruit and cloves; pleasantly flavourful and fresh in the mouth.