The Pinacoteca di Brera is the largest and most famous art gallery in Milan.
Opened in 1809, it still attracts all art lovers like a magnet.
The collection includes paintings by European artists of the 15th-17th centuries and masterpieces by Italian painters of the 14th-19th centuries: Raphael, Caravaggio, Modigliani, Bramante, Tintoretto, and others.
The Pinacoteca di Brera occupies 38 halls in a Baroque-style palace built in the late 16th century. The Milan Academy of Fine Arts is located in the same building – it is situated on the first floor. It was for the students of the academy that Queen Maria Theresa of Austria ordered the establishment of an art gallery in Milan in the late 18th century.
The paintings in the halls are arranged according to two principles: by chronology; by belonging to one of the schools of painting (Lombard, Venetian, or Tuscan).
An exception to both principles is Hall X: it contains works by 20th-century masters. The last, XXXVIII hall of the exhibition is entirely dedicated to portraits by various painting masters.
The true gem of the Brera Gallery in Milan is considered to be Raphael’s painting “The Engagement of the Virgin Mary.”
But besides it, the pinacoteca has many authentic masterpieces: Caravaggio’s “The Supper at Emmaus,” Tintoretto’s “The Miracle of Saint Mark,” Piero della Francesca’s “The Montefeltro Altarpiece,” etc.
Among European artists, the gallery features works by El Greco, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Goya, and many others.
The main themes of the collection are Christianity, the life of the Madonna and Christ, the crucifixion, and the deeds of saints and apostles.
Open – every day except Monday, January 1, May 1, December 25.
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