Tempio Capitolino & Foro Romano
Just steps from the busy Piazza del Foro, Brescia hides one of the best-preserved Roman temple complexes in northern Italy — three fluted Corinthian columns still standing at full height, attached to a partially reconstructed temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad. Most visitors to the city walk past without realising what they're looking at.
The archaeology
The Capitolium was built under Emperor Vespasian in 73 AD and its three surviving columns — each 17 metres tall — are among the tallest standing Roman columns north of Rome, a fact that tends to produce a genuine double-take.
Beneath the temple, excavations have revealed the earlier Republican-era forum, and the adjacent Teatro Romano still shows its curved cavea walls rising above the modern street level.
Visiting the site
The external columns and forum area can be viewed freely from street level at any hour, making this a perfect early-morning stop before the museums open and the tour groups arrive.
The interior of the Capitolium is accessible as part of the Museo di Santa Giulia ticket, which includes a combined entry to all the city's Roman monuments — excellent value if you plan to spend a full day in the historic centre.
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