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Santa Giulia Museum

Brescia's monastery-museum, descending through Lombard cloisters to Roman houses beneath.

  • Brescia
  • Museum
Plan your visit
Where
Brescia
Best for
8th-century Lombard monastery
Allow
2 hours
Tickets
From €15
Checked September 2026

Brescia's city museum occupies the former monastery of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia, founded by the Lombard king Desiderius in 753 for his daughter Anselperga to lead as abbess, and the exhibition descends layer by layer through the building's own history, down through Lombard cloisters to Roman domus floors beneath.

Its two treasures anchor opposite ends of that timeline: the gilded and jeweled Cross of Desiderius, an 8th-century masterwork of Lombard goldsmithing, and the Winged Victory, a Roman bronze rediscovered in 1826 and only identified as a reworked Aphrodite figure through conservation work. UNESCO listed the complex among Italy's Lombard heritage sites in 2011.

Five works worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Cross of DesiderioLombard goldsmith work, 8th century

    A gilded cross set with jewels, one of the great masterpieces of Lombard goldsmithing.Upper hall of Santa Maria in Solario

  2. The Lipsanotheca of BresciaIvory reliquary casket, second half of the 4th century

    A small carved ivory box from late antiquity, among the museum's most prized pieces.Lower hall of Santa Maria in Solario

  3. The frescoes of Santa Maria in SolarioFloriano Ferramola, 1513 to 1524

    The whole upper church is covered in frescoes, and the lower hall's central pillar is a reused Roman altar to the sun god.Upper church of Santa Maria in Solario

  4. The church of San SalvatoreLombard, 8th century

    The oldest core of the monastery survives almost intact, with Lombard liturgical furnishings and later frescoes by Romanino.Heart of the monastery

  5. The Roman domus of the Ortaglia2nd and 3rd centuries AD

    Floor mosaics and wall paintings from Roman houses, including the Domus of the Panther, sit under the monastery.Beneath the museum

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €15
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
2 hours
Best time
A weekday morning, avoiding weekend crowds and school groups that arrive after lunch
Getting there
The museum is in central Brescia on Via Musei, a walk from the train station or a short ride on the metro to the Vittoria stop.
Accessibility
Much of the museum is step-free, though the layered, multi-level archaeological areas include some stairs; check with staff for the accessible route.

€15 covers the integrated ticket to the permanent collection; a Single Ticket option covers all four Brescia city museums (Santa Giulia, Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Marzoli Arms and Armor Museum, Museum of the Risorgimento). Reduced rates apply for students, over-65s and groups. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Save energy for the Roman domus at the end of the route: visitors often rush the Lombard sections first and arrive tired at the mosaics of the Domus dell'Ortaglia, which are among the best-preserved Roman floor paintings in northern Italy.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the Santa Giulia Museum?

Plan about two hours to see the Lombard monastery, the Roman houses and the main masterpieces. If you also want the Roman Capitolium nearby, make it half a day.

Where is the Winged Victory of Brescia?

She was displayed at Santa Giulia until 2020 and now stands in the Roman Capitolium, close by, in the same ancient part of the city. You can visit the two together.

Is the Santa Giulia Museum worth visiting?

Yes, it is the city museum of Brescia and one of Italy's best for layered history, from Roman houses to a Lombard monastery. The monastery complex is part of the UNESCO listing for Lombard Italy.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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