The pleasure of art en plein air, where the eye can catch the traces left from times past but also of times that are changing, in the solemnity of sacred venues or the liveliness of people on the street. Early Lombard architecture remains, Romanesque churches, Gothic baptistries scattered along paved streets and squares, and also masterpieces of Baroque style. Take a walk in the historic centres of these cities and travel through time, through over more than 20 centuries of wars, faith and passion.

Plunge into history with a visit to the cities of the Circuito. Also the S.Salvatore-Santa Giulia monastery in Brescia - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - dates back to the Middle Ages. It was founded thanks to the Lombard king Desiderio and his wife Ansa in 753 AD, on an area once occupied by domus from the Roman age. The monastery underwent numerous changes through the centuries, and today we can see a suggestive complex developed around three cloisters that house an interesting museum.

From the Middle Ages there is also Palazzo della Ragione in Piazza Vecchia, in the heart of Bergamo. Built in the second half of the 12th century, modified in the 15th and again in the 16th century, it is flanked by Torre Civica from the 12th century. Opposite it there is Palazzo Nuovo, designed by Andrea Vannone (1598) and then by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1611). An earlier building is Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, built in 1137; it has a monumental portal from the 14th century, and the famous Cappella Colleoni from the 15th century.

The Lombards are also in the Duomo of Monza. The church developed on the ancient oraculum built in the 6th century AD by Theodelinda. The most suggestive building is definitely Villa Reale, built between 1777 and 1780 by architect Giuseppe Piermarini appointed by Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg - Governor General of Lombardy under the Austrian domination - thanks to the rich financial support of his mother, Empress Maria Theresa Habsburg. Inside, the royal apartments of Umberto and Margherita deserve a special mention, as also the beautiful chapel designed by Piermarini with a central plan. Giardini Reali - the Royal Gardens - are the first in Italy to have been designed in the English garden style, with rich and rare flowers, a succession of wood and lawns, caves, and waters.

Renaissance atmosphere pervades Lodi, with its most important monument: Incoronata. This church was designed by Giovanni Battaggio, who revisited the central plan model on the basis of the church of San Satiro by Bramante in Milan.

Another very important monument in Pavia is 'religious' in nature: Certosa, founded in 1396 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti who wanted to transform the church dedicated to S. Maria delle Grazie into a mausoleum for his family and offspring. Construction works continued until the 18th century, so that the complex provides today art samples from architects from Lombardy between the 14th and the 18th centuries, with important contributions by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, Cristoforo Solari, Ambrogio da Fossano aka Bergognone, Bernardino Luini, Pietro Vannucci aka Il Perugino, Morazzone, Guercino, the Procaccini brothers, Cerano, and Daniele Crespi.

In Cremona, the San Sigismondo complex testifies to the pictorial prominence of this city in the 16th century. Built between 1463 and 1492, the church began being decorated in 1535. The result is one of the most important decorated complexes in Mannerism art in northern Italy, stylistically harmonious and homogeneous though many different artists contributed to the task.

You are back to the 13th century with Palazzo Gotico in Piacenza, built in 1281 by Alberto Scoto. Its Gothic Lombard ogival style, with a crenellated cornice, the swallow-tailed Ghibelline, the central tower that protects the bell, and the two side towers is a perfect example of medieval civil architecture. Also the Duomo, built between 1122 and 1233 is one of the most important religious buildings in northern Italy.

In Parma, the Duomo and the Baptistry date back to the Middle Ages. The former, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, was began in 1059; its façade is enclosed by two towers, of which only one was completed. The latter is the masterpiece of Benedetto Antelami, who directed the building works and produced almost all the beautiful sculptures that decorate the Baptistry.

In Reggio Emilia, the Cattedrale brings together ancient and modern styles. This church was built in 857 AD and renovated in the 15th century. It presents an amazing crypt from the 13th century, which hosts modern art pieces such as the altar by Claudio Parmiggiani, the staircase and ambon book holder by Hidetoshi Nagasawa, and the candelabrum by Ettore Spalletti. In Modena, with the Duomo and Torre Ghirlandina, you cannot help but be brought back to the Middle Ages.