Understand
Brescia is a rich industrial city between Lake Garda and the Valtrompia in the foothills of the alps, about 100 km east of Milan. It is less famous for its history and art than for its role as a primary manufacturing center. The large factories produce weapons including the famous Beretta pistols and cutlery/kitchen accessories. This industry has brought the city tremendous wealth and prestige in the past 50 years, to the point that an entire second city--the imaginatively named Brescia 2--has sprung up on the south side of the city's original boundaries.
Brescia is also the capital of the Lombardian province of the same name, which incorporates numerous beautiful and historic towns, the Valtrompia, and parts of the lakes.
