Five Art Refuges in the City

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

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

House Museums of Lombardy: step inside the homes of renowned historical figures

Discover the history and culture of the Region of Lombardy through its historic house museums, from the homes of famous people and art collectors to artists' studios.

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

Art & Culture

Between ancient memories and majestic landscapes

Cultural itinerary in lower Valtellina

Art & Culture

Lorenzo Lotto Itinerary

In Bergamo on the trail of Lorenzo Lotto, one of the leading exponents of the Italian Renaissance

Art & Culture

Seven castles in Lombardy

From Lake Garda to Valtellina by way of Milan. Among crenellated walls, towers and porticoed loggias

Art & Culture

16th Olympic Games of Violin-making

Art & Culture

The life in a farm

Come and discover the charm of an ancient farm!

Art & Culture

Summer Guided Tours to the Town's Museums

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday till the end of August

Art & Culture

Lombardy in 5 Castles

Impregnable fortresses, with enchanting lake views, legends of ghosts. Five castles in Lombardy to be visited

Art & Culture

Pavia Photo Gallery

An area full of attractions and experiences to experience

Art & Culture

Milan in the 1920s: Déco and tradition

Art & Culture

Castles Sondrio

In the mountains between castles and strongholds that challenge the peaks of the Valtellina

Art & Culture

11 addresses for villas and parks

Relive the charm of the past between villas, parks and castles in Lombardy

Art & Culture

Bergamo, Crespi d'Adda

Art & Culture

Come to discover Cremona!

A new guide for children and families

Art & Culture

Itinerary Mincio Po Rivers

A pleasant itinerary to discover the naturalistic and architectural riches of this strip of Lombardy.

Art & Culture

Castles Mantua

The Mincio marked for centuries the border of important possessions. The landscape was characterized by new castles in key places

Art & Culture

Visiting the Castle in the night

Art & Culture

Walking through time between Grosio and Grosotto

The most extensive historiated rock in Europe

Art & Culture

The Ghost of Manigunda

In Varese the legend of the ghost of Manigunda to the monastery

Art & Culture