The ancient Brixia Romana puts on a contemporary face. September’s Festa dell’Opera brings the melodramma, filling the local courtyards, restaurants, and factories with music. Nearby, the wine flows along with the time while sipping on glasses of Franciacorta’s finest or the pirlo, a popular local aperitif made by mixing a still white wine and Campari. Elegant and always leaning towards the innovative, it’s here you’ll find the original Zone Diet gelato or a book detailing the local wine/gelato pairings. The city’s pride and joy, the Santa Giulia Museum, is a monastic complex included in the 2011 UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Longobards and Their Places of Power.

Get lost among the Renaissance cloisters, the Basilica of San Salvatore, and the Romanesque Oratory of Santa Maria in Solario with its star-studded dome, leaving the best for last. Exceptional Roman ruins depict lobsters, pomegranates, and theatrical masks that come to life through vibrant mosaics and frescoes.

Connecting the past and present, the Mille Miglia classic car race weaves its way through Italy from Brescia to capital of Rome and back in the month of May. This is one round-trip you won’t want to miss.