The "Brescia" Brigade was first formed with the 19th and 20th infantry regiments on 1 November 1859 in Bergamo. Along with the "Cremona" Brigade in Brescia and the 6th Field Artillery Regiment it formed the 6th Division of the Line. During the Third Italian War of Independence the Brescia was paired with the "Valtellina" Brigade to form the 5th Division of the Line, which fought in the Battle of Custoza. The brigade participated in the Capture of Rome and then saw service in the Italian colonial wars: the First Italo-Ethiopian War and the Italo-Turkish War.