Pinacoteca Brera is the largest and most famous art gallery in Milan. It is known all over the world and can only be compared with the Vatican Museums and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The 38 rooms contain examples of paintings from the schools of Venice, Tuscany and Lombardy. Here you will see works by masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as the second half of the XX century. The Brera Gallery gets its name from its location. The Pinacoteca is located in the historical quarter. Brera in Italian means “land cleared of trees.”
The Baroque palace, which now houses the gallery, was built in the XVI-XVII centuries under the direction of the architect Giuseppe Piermarini. Previously, a monastery was opened there, and then, by the decision of the Austrian Queen Maria Theresa and Count Karl Firmian, an art academy. During the time of Napoleon, who wanted to turn Milan into the capital of Europe, the halls began to be cleared for paintings and other valuable exhibits. A statue of Napoleon was erected in the palace courtyard. The sculptor Antonio Canova depicted him in the form of the god of war, Mars, holding a miniature figurine of the goddess of victory, Nike.
The Pinacoteca was officially opened in 1809. During the First World War, the paintings were transported to Rome for storage. During World War II, the palace was partially destroyed. It was restored in 1950.
The Brera complex includes a gallery and library, an observatory, a restoration workshop and a garden. In addition to about 500 paintings, here you will find archaeological collections from Egypt and Ancient Greece, medieval mosaics from northern Italy, ancient icons, frescoes and sculptures. The main theme of the collections is Christianity, the life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, saints and apostles.
Each room has soft chairs where visitors can sit, relax and enjoy the masterpieces.
In the gallery you will see paintings by Raphael, Rubens, Picasso, Caravaggio, Veronese, Tintoretto and other famous artists. The tenth hall exhibits works by Italian and foreign painters (Picasso, Modigliani, Morandi, etc.) of the 20th century.
We will highlight some paintings exhibited in other rooms.
Raphael Santi - “The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary”:
Caravaggio - "Supper at Emmaus":
"Mary with the Newborn Jesus" by Giovanni Bellini:
and "Pieta":
"Dead Jesus" by Andrea Mantegna:
Annibale Carracci - “Jesus and the Samaritan”:
"The Kiss" by Francesco Aitza (Il Bacio):
It is prohibited to shoot video, take photographs with flash, or bring food or drinks into the gallery. At the information stand in each room you can find descriptions of the paintings in English and Italian. You can purchase quality brochures at the gallery entrance.
Address of the Brera Pinacoteca: Via Brera, 28.
The gallery is open every day except Monday - 08:30-19:15. Closed January 1, May 1, August 15, December 25.
Ticket price:
- for adults - 15 euros, for youth 18-25 years old - 10 euros, under 18 years old - free. It's also free on the first Sunday of every month.
Tickets can be purchased at the gallery box office or online.
How to get there:
- green M2 metro line - stop Lanza, yellow M3 metro line - stop Montenapoleone or red M1 metro line - stop Cairoli Castello;
- by bus №61 - stop Via Monte di Pieta/Via Monte Di Pieta, Piazza San Marco.
- by tram №62, 12, 14 - stop Via Cusani.
To buy tickets online and for more information, visit the official website of the Pinacoteca Brera: https://pinacotecabrera.org.
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