The wonderful fortress on the top of the hill
Painting the Medieval Castle of Brescia during the #italiagrandsketchingtour.
Just outside the center of the city there is the hill Cidneo were the perfectly maintained castle is situated and it is absolutely worth a visit. I decided to climb there are the path was stiff but the view was worthy. I realized that climbing those stairs was for me a metaphor of life, everything in fact is a question of practice and it changes from a pain to a joy, it just needs perseverance. And I realized that my physical practice right now is completely in the area of pain.
Once at the top of the hill, there is a big door that allow the entrance to the castle area, while the castle itself is still at the final top. Once visited the castle that gives a great idea on how it was structured, I went back outside to draw the final entrance of the medieval castle, including the drawbridge that you pass to enter the inner and oldest part of the castle. Walking on the small bridge you really feel the strength of this place and the safety that this walls could offer to the population.Â
The history of the area is millennial, in fact since the romans the hill was inhabited and it hosted the sacred areas of the temples, the base of which is still visible. In the Christian time the Basilica old Santo Stefano was built here until he was destroyed in the 18th Century for the explosion of a powder keg. Beside the church, in the medieval times the castle was built to control the city that lays at the feet of the hill.
The itinerary for the memory of terrorism victims
Going back to the city, I walked downhill on the itinerary that, starting from Piazza Loggia, is dedicated to the victims of Italian terrorism. The path is identified by a sequence of tiles in the ground with the names of the victims of terrorism and political violence. The path, that arrives to the castle, symbolizes the need for memory and civil commitment towards those people whose lives were tragically broken. Walking the path for me was a very emotional moment, because there is so much I give for granted but it is not. Democracy and peace is something to be built each day by each one, one step and one choice at a time. It was good for me to remind that I too have to be responsible for creating the country that I want to live in, even if most of the time I don’t know how to do it.
Title of the painting ‘The Medieval Castle of Brescia’
This is a painting from the Italia Grand Sketching Tour Collection, a series of original ink and watercolor paintings done on location during my tour to discovery the marvelous Italian heritage. All paintings are also available as numbered and originally signed prints.
The painting is also featured in the book about my motorbike Italian tour. By acquiring this work you will get to know better Italy also thanks to a personalized story about this place that I will include in the package.
Painting information:
- Watercolor and ink on white paper
- Size 19 x 28.5 cm (7.5 x 11.2 inches)
- Shipped in a box
- Certificate of authenticity will be sent with the painting
