According to Usvsukenglish, the city of Iseo is located on the southern shore of the lake of the same name, located 20 km east of Bergamo in the Lombardy region. This is a small foothill lake with an area of 65 sq. km. The tiny lake is more suitable for a short rest, mostly Italians who are tired of the working week rest here.
In the past, the town of Iseo was the main trading point of the lake, and today it is a popular tourist center with many hotels, shops and restaurants, which, by the way, are famous for their fish dishes. In the city center is Piazza Garibaldi, surrounded by shops and cafes. In the vicinity of the square, it is worth seeing the Church of Pieve di San Andrea 16th century, which was rebuilt in the 20th century, and Castello Oldofredi, where the Capuchins lived in the 16th and 18th centuries, and today houses the Military Museum.
But the neighborhood of Iseo is the most interesting. A little to the north is the city of Sulzano, from where the boat leaves for the island of Montisola. Montisola is the largest island on the lake (5 sq. km) in Europe. In essence, it is a mountain that has grown in the middle of a lake. At its top stands the chapel of the Madonna della Cherion. Hiking to the chapel is the most popular local excursion. It is forbidden to travel by car on the island, so tourists can only use public transport or ride a bike around the island.
Also from Iseo you can go to the coastal village Sarnico with villas and the Bellini art gallery, the medieval village of Tavernola, the village of Castro with a Romanesque church and the largest town of the lake, Lovere. Lovere is located on the north coast of Iseo at the entrance to the Val Camonica mountain valley. Of interest here are the Palazzo Tadini Palace, where the Barbelli Art Gallery, the 15th century Basilica of Santa Maria, the 16th century Santa Chiara Monastery and the Villa Milesi with an extensive park are located. Be sure to take a trip along the Val Camonica, which goes north and meets the Valtellina, the main ski area of Lombardy. In addition to bewitching landscapes and original mountain villages in the valley, there is an interesting balneological resort Boario Terme , about the healing properties of the waters of which the famous alchemist Paracelsus wrote in 1497.
At the southern shore of Lake Iseo, the picturesque hills of Franciacorta begin, occupied by vineyards. The famous Italian sparkling wine Franciacorta is produced here.
The hills of Franciacorta lead to the medieval city of Brescia. Brescia is the second largest city in Lombardy, a major industrial and commercial center. Brescia was founded by the Gauls, and later under the Romans became one of the largest centers of northern Italy. The remains of Roman buildings and many medieval buildings have survived to this day in the city. There are four squares in the center of the Old Town of Brescia: Piazza del Mercato, Piazza della Vittoria, Piazza della Loggia and Piazza Paolo VI. The most interesting square is Piazza Paolo VI. This is one of the few squares in Italywhere you will see two cathedrals at once: the Romanesque Duomo Vecchio or Rotunda (12th century) and the Duomo Nuovo (17th-19th centuries). The Rotunda houses the sarcophagi of the archbishops and works by artists such as Moretto, Romanino, Palma the Younger and Maffei. The canvases of these artists adorn the interior of the Duomo Nuovo. The Duomo Nuovo is famous for having the third highest dome in Italy.
Near the cathedrals rises the city hall of Broletto from the 12th century and the oldest tower of the city, Torro del Popolo (11th century). In the nearby Renaissance Piazza della Loggia, the 15th-century City Hall (Torre dell’Orologio) is worth a look. A little to the east is Piazza del Foro, where the most significant Roman buildings of the entire region have been preserved. Here you can see the Forum and the Capitoline Temple, built under the emperor Vespasian in 73 AD.
You can learn about the history of Roman Brescia in the City Museum, located nearby in the building of the monastery of Santa Giulia. Archaeological finds from prehistoric times to the Roman period are exhibited here, including mosaics and statues, as well as the cross of the last Lombard king Desiderius from the 8th century AD, encrusted with hundreds of precious stones. A little to the north, on the top of the Tsydney Hill, from where the whole city is visible, as if in the palm of your hand, stands the Tsydney Castle. The castle was built in the 12th century on the site of a Roman temple. This is a real citadel with towers, ramparts and moats. Now it houses the Risorgimento Museum, which tells about the history of the unification of Italy. from the era of Venetian rule until the 1870s, and the Museum of Weapons. The park surrounding the castle is a favorite place for relaxation of the inhabitants of Brescia. In addition, the churches of Brescia are of interest: the Romanesque church of San Francesco of the 13th century with frescoes by Romanino, the Renaissance Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and Sant Nazario i Celso, which contains the altar polyptych “The Resurrection of Christ” by Titian. Be sure to visit the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, which exhibits works by painters of the 13th-18th centuries, including works by Romanino, Foppa, Moretto, Savoldo, Raphael, Tintoretto and Lotto.
