Perched on a hill overlooking the town, Brescia’s castle is one of Italy’s most striking fortifications and the second largest in Europe. Evidence of its different dominations may still be seen today.
The 14th century Mastio Visconteo hosts the “Luigi Marzoli” Arms Museum, one of the major European collections of old armour and weaponry which illustrates the lengthy Brescian tradition of arms manufacture. Among the most famous pieces are a shield dated 1563, with embossed and damascened decoration portraying the Triumph of Bacchus, and the firearm collection of Brescia, work of the famous gun barrel-makers such as Cominazzo, Chinelli, Dafino and Acquisti. The museum visit also includes Visconti era wall paintings and a 1st century AD Roman temple.