Brixia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brixia is the Latin name of the modern city of Brescia in Northern Italy. Its location was first settled in the 7th century B.C. by a tribe of Gauls (themselves part of the Celts), which were the original inhabitants of this part of Italy before the Roman conquest (see also Gallia Cisalpina). The name of the tribe was Cœnomani, and the name of the city comes from their language. It is most likely related to a root meaning "hill" although the correct etymology is uncertain.
The small village of the beginning was already a sizable town when the Romans defeated the Italian Gauls in the 3rd century B.C. and annexed their territory, although, after their fashion, letting them keep most of their traditions and customs. The Gauls of Brescia became then a reliable ally, which gained them already in the first century B.C. the status of Roman citizens and their city the title of "municipium". This meant that the people of Brescia were entitled to a degree of self-administration and that the city was the seat of local Roman authorities (which held their office in the local Curia).
The most important archeological findings of Romans times are the Capitolium temple complex and the two domus that can be visited in the Museum of Santa Giulia. These domus, incidentally, are among the best preserved in Northern Italy and let us glimpse into a distant world that can otherwise be seen only in places like Pompeii.
