Il Capitolium

Il CapitoliumVia dei Musei, 55 - Brescia BS

In the heart of the ancient city, along Via dei Musei and overlooking Piazza del Foro, the Capitolium is much more than a Roman temple: it’s the symbol of Brixia, the monumental soul of a past that is still present here.

Together with the Roman Theatre, the excavations of Palazzo Martinengo and the remains of the Forum, it forms one of the most impressive archaeological

HISTORY

The temple was built in AD 73 at the behest of Emperor Vespasian, in celebration of his victory over Vitellius. Brescia had played a decisive role in that battle, and was rewarded with a monument worthy of Rome.

Built on top of an ancient republican sanctuary, the Capitolium was the civil and religious heart of the city. Then came looting, collapses, and landslides from the Cidneo Hill. And the temple disappeared, buried for centuries.

In 1823, the city unearthed it. Municipality, citizens and the University of Brescia joined forces to give this marvel a new voice. Three years later, in 1826, a momentous discovery: in the wall behind the temple, extraordinary Roman bronzes re-emerged, including the Winged Victory, today a symbol of Brescian identity.

Between 1935 and 1938, part of the Capitolium was rebuilt: the columns, pronaos and cells became visible again, although the original, much more ambitious project was never completed. Some elements of the temple, meanwhile, had already been reused in other buildings, such as the Church of the Santissimo Corpo di Cristo.

Today, the Capitolium is reached by climbing 4.5 metres of history. The layout is classical: a cavea with three sections and a monumental façade with six columns (hexastyle), but with architectural variations that reveal the genius of those who built it. Even if only one original column remains, the effect is still spectacular. And even more so when you walk through it.

Since 2011, the Capitolium has been part of the UNESCO site “Longobards in Italy: places of power (568-774 AD)”, together with the Santa Giulia Museum.

In 2023, it also received the prestigious Blue Shield, an international symbol for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, established by the 1954 Hague Convention.