The Pinacoteca di Brera is the largest and most famous art gallery in Milan.
Opened in 1809, it is still a magnet for art lovers.
The collection of paintings includes canvases by European artists of the 15th-17th centuries and masterpieces by Italian artists of the 14th-19th centuries: Raphael, Caravaggio, Modigliani, Bramante, Tintoretto and others.
The Pinacoteca di Brera occupies 38 rooms in a Baroque palazzo built at the end of the XVI century. The same building houses the Milan Academy of Fine Arts – it is located on the ground floor. Queen Maria Theresa of Austria ordered the creation of an art gallery in Milan at the end of the 18th century just for the students of the academy.
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).
The exception to both principles is Hall X, which contains works by 20th-century masters. The last room, Room XXXVIII, is entirely devoted to portraits by various masters.
The real jewel of the Brera Gallery in Milan is Raphael’s “The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary”.
But the Pinacoteca’s collection also includes many genuine masterpieces: Caravaggio’s “Dinner at Emmaus” “The Miracle of St Mark” by Tintoretto “The Altarpiece of Montefeltro” by Pietro della Francesca, etc.
From European artists the gallery has 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, the deeds of the saints and apostles.
Open all days except Monday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
