Theprovince of Brescia (Italian:provincia di Brescia;Brescian:pruìnsa de Brèsa) is aprovince in theLombardy region ofItaly. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city ofBrescia.

Province of Brescia Provincia di Brescia (Italian) Pruìnsa de Brèsa (Lombard)
Province
Broletto Palace, the provincial seat
Flag Coat of arms
Map highlighting the location of the province of Brescia in Italy
Coordinates:45°38′N10°18′E / 45.633°N 10.300°E /45.633; 10.300
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Established	23 October 1859
Capital(s)	Brescia
Comuni	205
Government
• President	Emanuele Moraschini
Area [1]
• Total	4,785.62 km2 (1,847.74 sq mi)
Population  (2019)[2]
• Total	1,265,964
• Density	260/km2 (690/sq mi)
GDP [3]
• Total	€39.322 billion (2015)
• Per capita	€36,900 (2021)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	25121-25136, 25010-25089
Telephone prefixes	030, 0364, 0365, 035
ISO 3166 code	IT-BS
Vehicle registration	BS
ISTAT	017
Website	www.provincia.brescia.it

With an area of 4,785 km², it is the biggest province of Lombardy. It is also the second province of the region for the number of inhabitants and fifth in Italy (first, excludingmetropolitan cities).

It borders theprovince of Sondrio to the north and north west, theprovince of Bergamo to the west, theprovince of Cremona to the south west and south, theprovince of Mantua to the south. On its northeastern border,Lake Garda – Italy's largest – is divided between Brescia and the neighboring provinces ofVerona (Veneto region) andTrentino (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region).

The province stretches betweenLake Iseo in the west, Lake Garda in the east, theSouthern Rhaetian Alps in the north and the Lombardian plains in the south. The main rivers of the province are theOglio, theMella and theChiese.

BesidesBrescia, other important towns in the province areTravagliato,Darfo Boario Terme,Desenzano del Garda,Palazzolo sull'Oglio,Montichiari,Ghedi,Chiari,Rovato,Gussago,Rezzato,Concesio,Orzinuovi,Salò,Gardone Val Trompia andLumezzane.

The province of Brescia is the largest in the region, boasts three main lakes,Lake Garda,Lake Iseo andLake Idro, plus several other smaller lakes, three valleys,Val Camonica,Val Trompia andValle Sabbia, as well as a wide flat area south of the city, known as theBassa Bresciana, and several hilly areas surrounding the city landscape and extending eastwards towardsVeneto and west toFranciacorta.

Due to the altitude and morphological variety and the presence of large lakes, the province includes all kinds of biomes inEurope: from something similar to themaquis shrubland up to the perennial snow ofAdamello (with the largestglacier in theItalian Alps).

The three main valleys on the territory of Brescia are theVal Camonica, crossed by the riverOglio and inserted in the northwestern part of the province fromAdamello toLake Iseo;Val Trompia, the riverMella basin, between the municipalities ofConcesio andCollio; and theValle Sabbia which includes the municipalities fromSerle toBagolino along the course of the riverChiese.

All the three valleys have the point of union theCroce Domini Pass, which takes the name from the "cross" formed by the union of the three basins.

Within the province there are eight lakes. The main lake basin, in both dimensional, climatic and cultural terms, isLake Garda, shared with theVeneto andTrentino regions, which with its 370 km² of surface is the biggest lake in Italy. Because of its size, the lake has a considerable influence on the climate and the surrounding environment, generating a micro-geographic area in a more mitigated climate both in summer and winter.

Lake Iseo is the second lake of the area, and is situated at about 180 m above sea level, in an area calledSebino, betweenVal Camonica (north) andFranciacorta (south), which divides the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia.

Lake Idro, the third lake within the provincial territory, is located inValle Sabbia, on the border between Brescia and theprovince of Trento, and differs from the other two main lakes for its modest size. The waters of the lake are mainly exploited for the irrigation of crops in contiguous territories, as well as for the production of energy through a small power plant located in the municipality ofVobarno.

Other small lakes in the province are:Lago della Vacca (at an elevation of 2,358 m, in one of the coldest points of the province),Lago d'Arno,Lago Aviolo, Lago Baitone,Lago Moro and Lago diValvestino.

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  Lake Garda
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  Lake Iseo with the isle ofMontisola
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  Lake Idro
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  Lake Valvestino
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  Lake Moro andDarfo Boario Terme
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  Lago della Vacca

There are about 45 watercourses crossing the territory of the province, but almost all of them are torrents. The only watercourses that can be defined as real rivers are just three:Oglio,Chiese andMella; divided between the three main valleys.

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  Chiese crossesValle Sabbia
•  
  Mella crossesVal Trompia then part of the southern countryside
•  
  Source of the riverOglio in the upperValle Camonica
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  Typical ditch in Bassa Bresciana

• Highest point:Mount Adamello,Saviore dell'Adamello (3,539 m)
• Highest settlement:Tonale Pass,Ponte di Legno (1,883 m)
• Northernmost municipality:Ponte di Legno
• Southernmost municipality:Fiesse
• Easternmost municipality:Limone sul Garda
• Westernmost municipality:Pontoglio

• Rock Drawings in Valcamonica;
• Brescia, one of theplaces of Longobard power;
• Prehistoric settlements ofLavagnone (Desenzano del Garda),Lugana Vecchia (Sirmione),Lucone (Polpenazze del Garda),San Sivino andGabbiano (Manerba del Garda).

There are many castles and fortress located in:

• Brescia
• Sirmione
• Lonato
• Montichiari
• Desenzano
• Breno
• Anfo
• Padenghe sul Garda
• Moniga del Garda
• Padernello
• Pozzolengo
• Carzago
• Bornato
• Drugolo
• Pontevico
• Paderno Franciacorta
• Soiano del Lago

•  
  Brescia
•  
  Sirmione
•  
  Montichiari
•  
  Padernello
•  
  Breno
•  
  Anfo

•  
  Lonato
•  
  Moniga del Garda
•  
  Montisola

• Lake Garda,Lake Iseo andLake Idro;
• Stelvio National Park;
• Adamello Regional Park;
• Alto Garda Bresciano Regional Park;
• Torbiere del Sebino Natural Reserve;
• Earth pyramids ofZone Natural Reserve;
• I Borghi più belli d'Italia:Bienno,Gardone Riviera,Montisola andTremosine;
• Grandi Giardini Italiani:Vittoriale degli Italiani,Isola del Garda, Giardino Botanico Andrè Heller, Le Vigne di Bellavista - Franciacorta;
• Natural monuments ofBuco del Frate,Altopiano di Cariadeghe,Baluton andMasso del Permico;
• Ski resorts ofPonte di Legno,Temù andMontecampione inValcamonica;
• Franciacorta wine region;
• Grottoes of Catullus.

•  
  Mount Adamello
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  The natural reserve of Torbiere del Sebino
•  
  Strada della Forra inTremosine
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  Villa Borghese-Cavazza on theIsola del Garda
•  
  Vineyards inFranciacorta

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  Earth pyramids ofZone
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  Vittoriale degli Italiani
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  Alto Garda Bresciano Regional Park
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  Adamello Regional Park
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  Grottoes of Catullus

The Province of Brescia is an administrative body of intermediate level between a municipality (comune) andLombardy region.

The three main functions devolved to the province of Brescia are:

• local planning and zoning;
• provision oflocal police andfire services;
• transportation regulation (car registration, maintenance of local roads, etc.).

As an administrative institution, the province of Brescia has its own elected bodies. From 1945 to 1995 the President of the province of Brescia was chosen by the members of the Provincial Council, elected every five years by citizens. From 1995 to 2014, under provisions of the 1993 local administration reform, the President of the Province was chosen by popular election, originally every four, then every five years.

On 3 April 2014, theItalian Chamber of Deputies gave its final approval to the Law n.56/2014 which involves the transformation of the Italian provinces into "institutional bodies of second level". According to the 2014 reform, each province is headed by a President (or Commissioner) assisted by a legislative body, the Provincial Council, and an executive body, the Provincial Executive. President (Commissioner) and members of Council are elected together by mayors and city councilors of each municipality of the province respectively every four and two years. The Executive is chaired by the President (Commissioner) who appoint others members, calledassessori. Since 2015, the President (Commissioner) and other members of the Council do not receive a salary.^[4]

In each province, there is also a Prefect (prefetto), a representative of the central government who heads an agency calledprefettura-ufficio territoriale del governo. The Questor (questore) is the head of State's Police (Polizia di Stato) in the province and his office is calledquestura. There is also a province's police force depending from local government, calledprovincial police (polizia provinciale).

This is a list of the Presidents of the Province since 1945:

Notes

Here is a list of the most populatedcomuni (municipalities) of the province.

Subsequently, a list of the municipalities divided into their geographical zone (municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants are in bold):

• Capital city area:Brescia,Borgosatollo,Botticino,Bovezzo,Collebeato,Concesio,Gussago,Nave,Rezzato,Roncadelle.
• Franciacorta:Rovato,Palazzolo sull'Oglio,Adro,Cellatica,Capriolo,Coccaglio,Erbusco,Cazzago San Martino,Passirano,Paderno Franciacorta,Castegnato,Rodengo Saiano,Ome,Monticelli Brusati,Polaveno.
• Lake Iseo:Iseo,Marone,Monte Isola,Paratico,Pisogne,Provaglio d'Iseo,Sale Marasino,Sulzano,Zone.
• Val Camonica:Darfo Boario Terme,Angolo Terme,Artogne,Berzo Demo,Berzo Inferiore,Bienno,Borno,Braone,Breno,Capo di Ponte,Cedegolo,Cerveno,Ceto,Cevo,Cimbergo,Cividate Camuno,Corteno Golgi,Edolo,Esine,Gianico,Incudine,Losine,Lozio,Malegno,Malonno,Monno,Niardo,Ono San Pietro,Ossimo,Paisco Loveno,Paspardo,Pian Camuno,Piancogno,Pisogne,Ponte di Legno,Saviore dell'Adamello,Sellero,Sonico,Temù,Vezza d'Oglio,Vione.
• Val Trompia:Lumezzane,Sarezzo,Gardone Val Trompia,Villa Carcina,Marcheno,Bovegno,Collio,Caino,Lodrino,Pezzaze,Tavernole sul Mella,Marmentino,Irma.
• Valle Sabbia:Gavardo,Vobarno,Prevalle,Villanuova sul Clisi,Roè Volciano,Vestone,Bagolino,Sabbio Chiese,Serle,Muscoline,Odolo,Paitone,Idro,Casto,Agnosine,Preseglie,Bione,Vallio Terme,Barghe,Provaglio Val Sabbia,Mura,Pertica Bassa,Lavenone,Pertica Alta,Treviso Bresciano,Anfo,Capovalle,Nuvolera,Nuvolento.
• Lake Garda:Desenzano del Garda,Lonato del Garda,Gardone Riviera,Gargnano,Limone sul Garda,Manerba del Garda,Moniga del Garda,Padenghe sul Garda,Salò,San Felice del Benaco,Sirmione,Tignale,Toscolano Maderno,Tremosine,Soiano del Lago,Polpenazze del Garda,Calvagese della Riviera,Puegnago del Garda,Pozzolengo.
• Bassa Bresciana:Montichiari,Ghedi,Chiari,Acquafredda,Bagnolo Mella,Bedizzole,Mazzano,Calcinato,Calvisano,Carpenedolo,Castenedolo,Fiesse,Flero,Gambara,Gottolengo,Isorella,Leno,Montirone,Poncarale,Remedello,Visano,Berlingo,Castelcovati,Castel Mella,Castrezzato,Comezzano-Cizzago,Maclodio,Orzinuovi,Orzivecchi,Pompiano,Pontoglio,Roccafranca,Rudiano,Travagliato,Trenzano,Urago d'Oglio,Villachiara,Ospitaletto,San Zeno Naviglio,Azzano Mella,Pavone del Mella,Capriano del Colle,Borgo San Giacomo,Cigole,Mairano,Dello,Pralboino,Verolanuova,Verolavecchia,San Gervasio Bresciano,Manerbio,Lograto,Quinzano d'Oglio,Pontevico,Longhena,Offlaga,Barbariga,Berlingo,Torbole Casaglia,Alfianello,San Paolo,Brandico,Seniga.

Here is a list of the municipal government in cities and towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants:

• Andrea Cassarà (born 1984), Olympic fencer
• Luca Margaroli (born 1992), Swiss tennis player
• Lorenzo Zanetti (born 1987), motorcycle racer

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  Desenzano del Garda
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  Lumezzane
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  Montichiari
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  Palazzolo sull'Oglio
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  Rovato
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  Lonato del Garda

•  
  Sirmione
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  Salò
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  Iseo
•  
  Ponte di Legno

• Carlo Cocchetti (1859):Brescia e sua provincia ([1])

• Pope Paul VI (pope from 1963 to his death in 1978) – born inConcesio, Brescia

• Official website
• Brescia Tourism official site: useful information, guide destination and hotel, airport
• Scoprire Brescia e la sua provincia