Brescia

Brescia (ancient Brixia), city, northern Italy, capital of Brescia Province, in Lombardy (Lombardia) Region, on a fertile plain at the foot of the Alps. The city is an industrial center with iron and steel mills, aluminum works, hosiery factories, and plants for the manufacture of firearms and textiles. Brescia has many Roman ruins, including a Roman temple built in ad73 that now serves as a museum. The Martinengo Art Gallery houses many paintings of the 16th-century Brescian school of painters. Originally a Gallic town, Brescia became a Roman municipality in 49 bc. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city was held by several states, including Venice, France, and Austria. In 1861 Brescia became part of the newly founded kingdom of Italy. Population (2007 estimate) 190,044.