Brixia – Parco archeologico di Brescia romana

Brixia's archaeological park preserves the monumental heart of Roman Brescia beneath the Cidneo hill. A Republican sanctuary, the imperial Capitolium and a theatre reveal successive phases of the ancient city's religious and public life.

Why it matters

The remains make the development of a Roman civic centre legible within the later city. Together with San Salvatore–Santa Giulia, the area forms Brescia's component of the UNESCO serial property devoted to the Longobards in Italy, inscribed in 2011. The site's importance extends from ancient architecture to the history of archaeological discovery.

What to notice

The early-first-century-BC sanctuary had four neighbouring halls on a shared podium. Above it, the Capitolium was dedicated in AD 73 under Vespasian. Original remains and later reconstruction can be distinguished in the temple's columned front. The ancient decumanus follows the alignment of Via dei Musei, while later buildings demonstrate how the Roman area became part of subsequent urban fabric.

Context and history

Excavations began in 1823 through the initiative of Brescia's Ateneo and a public subscription. They recovered the temple, theatre and important bronzes. The restored Capitolium became the Museo Patrio in 1830, marking an early chapter in the history of Brescia's civic museums.