Sam and companions merely passed through by train on their way to Venice, July 20, 1867. Mark Twain Project: Quaker City Itinerary

From Bædeker:

Brescia (482 ft. ) vied with Milan at the commencement of the 16th cent. as one of the wealthiest cities of Lombardy , but in 1512 was sacked and burned by the French under Gaston de Foix , after an obstinate defence.  Five years later Brescia was restored to the dominions of Venice , to which it belonged till 1797 , but it has never recovered its ancient importance.  On April 1st, 1849 , the town was bombarded and taken by the Austrians under Haynau .
The town, with 40 ,500 inhab . and numerous iron -works , is delightfully situated at the base of the Alps. Previous to the events of 1848 the town and its environs constituted a vast manufactory of weapons (' Brescia armata '), which furnished a large proportion of the arms used by the Austrian army.  At the present day its energies are devoted to the service of Italy .