A few Days in Italy in Fall 2017 - Part 2 - Brescia

Good Morning Brescia

One of the reasons I choose Villa Noce was the Breakfast mentioned in the reviews. If you went to Italy yourself you know what awaits you in a typical local hotel that usually has Italian customers only. Coffee and a few sweets and that is that. A pleasant surprise waited at the main building at the hotel Villa Noce.

Breakfast at Villa Noce – a lot of options for Italy

After breakfast, we walked into town. Which gives you another feeling of the place. Our hotel was in a little village outside Brescia. At the end of the street were the bus stop and this nice church.

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Noce

We walked along some green and a small commercial zone with supermarkets, cinemas and a restaurant. Crossed the highway and arrived in the suburbs. We zigzagged towards the beginning of the old part of town.

Brescia

Chiese delle suore delle Poverelle

Ring my Bell! At Via Fratelli Bronzetti

Parrocchia Santi Nazaro E Celso

If you only walk the streets you will never find out what wonders hide behind the closed doors!

Very impressive from the outside as well!

You have to wait till a car comes out or somebody leaves and the main gates opens for a few seconds.

Saint Maria of Miracles or Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli

Strange enough most of the churches we passed today were closed. This was the first one that was open and it was a very nice one. The plague killed most of the inhabitants of Brescia between 1480 and 1484. There were rumors that a fresco depicting the Madonna and Child on a house had developed miraculous powers. On the wave of popular religious fervor, the Catholic church purchased the house in 1486. Two years later, the construction of the church began. Allied bombing destroyed everything but the façade of the church in the 2nd World War. The people knew what a jewel the façade was and had built a big and strong wood construction to protect it. And it worked!

Saint Maria of Miracles or Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli

Detail of the façade: St. Joseph with child

Could use some restauration

The famous fresco of the Madonna and Child behind the altar

A Roman soldier and Jesus

Madonna and Child

The cylindrical anterior dome was designed by Ludovico Beretta

There are a lot of painting in this small church

More of the dome

The Black Madonna

So much love – till the heart explodes

If you look at the picture on the left from the good old times and how they dress now – picture on the right

Nice frame!

This is such a small church but there is so much to see

Details everywhere

That must be red wine!

Mermaids!!

More of them

Piazza della Vittoria

Further, one we passed the Piazza della Vittoria. The square was build in 1932 and to make space for it they killed a lot of nice old buildings. Some dated back all the way to the 15th century. In 1927 the Brescia administrators started a process to change the urban face. This was supported all the way up to Benito Mussolini himself. You find a lot of places in Italy that were built at this time.

That is the way to move your kid!

The old Post Office

Torrione INA or Torrione
Completed in 1932 this was the first skyscraper in Italy with 57,25 Meter. At the time it was the tallest reinforced concrete skyscraper in Europe. INA Insurance had its offices in the tower so that some refered to it as Torre delle Assicurazioni. It was designed by Marcello Piacentini.

The “Tower of the Revolution”, in the past there was also a bas-relief depicting Mussolini on horseback

Looking down to the Piazza Paolo VI. You can see the Cathedral – and this is where we go next.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta or The Duomo Nuovo

The construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta began in 1604. At the site was the 5th-6th-century basilica of San Pietro de Dom. The church was completed in the nineteenth century. The dome was completed in 1825. With its 80 meters, it is one of the highest in Italy.

Right in the middle of the dome. Only a few steps after entering the building.

Looking towards the rear

Looking straight down from the door

After we walked down the aisle towards the main altar

The Presbytery and the Chancel. On the side of the altar are Saint Filastrio (on the left) and Saint Gaudenzio (on the right) made by Antonio Calegari in 1739.

Painting behind the main altar – Assumption of the Vergin Mary from Giacomo Zoboli

Quite a scary chair

Could be the baptismal font but my guess is that it the Stoups that contains the holy water

Bread of the poor

Hmm – that guy is dead and nobody is happy. But why Aladdin's lamp?

There you go! Nippels and Breast feeding! In the church! Yes!

Crocifisso del Duomo Nuovo
The work of by Francesco Giolfino from 1502. It is at the altar of the Crucifix which is the first on the right. Originally the crucifix was in the old church and they simply moved it here. On the right, you can see the Dormitio Virginis – different style – and yes it is the German School.

The Blessed Sacrament chapel. Designed by Rodolfo Vantini and completed in 1846. The altarpiece depicts the Preaching of Jesus to the people by Michelangelo Grigoletti. It was painted in 1844. The two statues are Faith (on the left) and Hope (on the right).

Statue of Pope Paul VI. Made by Raffaele Scorzelli in 1975. The Pope is portrayed down on his knees in the doorway of the Holy Door. He holds the pastoral Cross in his arms that is the only vertical element which raises above everything. Over the monument, you see paintings by Girolamo Romanino. They were moved here from the Cathedral of Saint Mary de Dom. Painted between 1539 and 1541: they depict the Birth, the Marriage and the Visit to Saint Elizabeth of the Vergin Mary.

Do you remember old Paul?

The Altar of Nicola da Tolentino. It was commisioned in 1630 while the plague raged through the town. Finally, in 1679 the altarpiece was painted by he Milanese Giuseppe Nuvolone. It depicts Saint Nicola da Tolentino with Saints Faustino and Giovita invoking for the miracle for the end of the plague in the town of Brescia through the medium of the Madonna.

Look at all tehm little angels!

This altar was the first one made in this style and it is the archetype of the Lombard side altars. Basically all of the altars in Northern Italy are made like this one.

Maria with child

A Guy with a Lion

Does this remind you of something?

The back altar of the right aisle. Decorated with sculptures by Antonio Calegari which represent the Meekness and Patience (on the side), the Penitence and Purity (above the tympanum). The altarpiece is the Guardian Angel painted by Luigi Basiletti.