Brescia

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31 Oktober 2021 - Brescia

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Last night we left Schweiz and drove into Italia; almost like before Covid-19 except for the guys in camo at the border with machine guns. I guess it's a Latin country though, so it should feel like Central America. And with the Alps nearby it sort of does. Except for the depth of history. I spent a good deal of the day exploring the castello perched on a redoubt above the city. The oldest parts at the top date from Roman times. Sadly there wasn't much from the period when the Ostrogoths had their heyday after Rome, but perhaps their influcence didn't stretch this far inland. The main gate and many of the current structures date from when the Venetians ruled this part of Italy. Napoleon's troops scratched the Doge's sidgel off the marble by the entrance. When the revolutions of 1848 washed across Europe Brescia was part of Österreich and the castello was used as a base for supression of the local rebellion. And now it is a beautiful park available for the enjoyment of all. Of course I also visited the biggest cathedral in town, explored the piazzas, and enjoyed a long slow lunch of local fare with a primi (tagliatele & wild boar) and a secundi (Uruguay steak).