This important picture gallery is situated in the palazzo built by Francesco Maria 
Richini in the 600’s based on the project by Martino Bassi. At his death in 1591, the first stone was layed, but only half way through the next century, when Francesco Maria Richini took over the work in 1651 did the building get finished. The building was commissioned by the Gesuites who decided to build, next to the the Gothic church, built in the first half of the XIV century by Giovanni of Balduccio and painted by Giusto de' Menabuoi, a centre dedicated to studies, mainly scientific. In the XVII century, after the dissolution of the Compagnia di Gesù (1772), the Empress, Maria Teresa of Austria enlarged the structures, making the back wings bigger. In that occasion the main entrance was modified (by Piermarini) and not long afterwards the Braidense library came to be, as well as the astrology observatory and the botanic garden.
In 1778 the Academy of Fine Arts was opened and in the Napoleonic era the Gothic church was destroyed to make way for the picture gallery. The impressive Palazzo has a frontage which mirrors itself in three parts and is given movement by the elegant play on shelves , coping and profile of the thirteen windows; the main feature of the building is the central courtyard with open galleries on two floors. The Name. The name "Brera" comes from an ancient Milanese word, "brayda", which means uncultivated land, fields. Originally in fact, the church from the ‘300’s was on the outside of the city. When the Gesuites decided to enlarge the complex, the urban development of Milan had already claimed the area, but the new building maintained its original reference. The history of the collections. The genesis of the picture gallery of Brera goes back to the Napoleonic era. It became a real picture gallery to all effects only with the work of Giuseppe Bossi, the Accademy’s secretary between 1801 and 1807, who found a way to get the money from government confiscations and invest it in the picture gallery, which was officially recognised in 1803. Because of the suppression of the religeous orders in 1805 in Emilia, in Romagna and in Veneto, many important works of art were bought to the museu
ms, chosen by the painter Andrea Appiani, commissionary for the ‘Belle Arti’ and later , Minder of the museum.
On the 15th August 1809 the picture gallery was opened in the presence of the Emperor. In 1882 it was officially seperated from the Accademy and other important pieces were bought between the end of the 800’s and mid 900’s. Very damaged during the war, and restored more than once, the picture gallery that we can see today is the result of restoration work completed on the 6th October 1994 , after having been closed for 6 years.
From the XIV to the XVI century. Among the work from the 300’s of major interest in the picture gallery are ‘la Madonna con Bambino’ by Pietro Lorenzetti, ‘l'Adorazione del Bambino’ by Barnaba da Modena, ‘le tavolette con le Storie di Santa Colomba’ anonymous Riminese master in Giotto style. From the 400’s of importance is, ‘la pala di Montefeltro’ (1474) by Piero della Francesca (from the later part of the artists life), ‘il Cristo morto’ by Andrea Mantegna (end of the XV century), ‘la Pietà’ by Giovanni Bellini (1470 approx.). As well as ‘il Miracolo di San Domenico’ by Benozzo Gozzoli (1461), ‘la Madonna col Bambino e Santi’ by Carlo Crivelli (1482), ‘la Disputa di Santo Stefano’ by Vittore Carpaccio (1403), the frescoes taken from the house of Panigarola with the ‘Uomini illustri’ and the ‘Cristo alla Colonna del Bramante’, ‘il Polittico’ by Vincenzo Foppa (1476). For the 500’s there’s one of the masterpieces by Raffaello, ‘Lo Sposalizio della Vergine’ (1504). Also for the XVI century there are important works by Lorenzo Lotto, Bernardino Luini, Giovan Battista Moroni, Correggio.
There are a few works by Paolo Veronese (‘il Battesimo di Cristo, Gesù nell'Orto, la Cena in Casa di Simone, and il Miracolo di San Marco’). Painting from the Barocco to the 800’s. Amongst the most important works from the 600’s are - ‘la Cena in Emmaus’ by Caravaggio (1606), ‘il Cristo e la Samaritana’ by Annibale Carracci, ‘San Pietro e San Paolo’ by Guido Reni, ‘Abramo disowns Agar’, by Guercino, ‘la Santa Cecilia’ by Orazio Gentileschi, ‘Cristo e la Samaritana’ by Battistello Caracciolo. Of noticea
ble importance ‘l'Ultima cena’ by Rubens. For the 700’s take note of G.B. Piazzetta’s work (Rebecca al pozzo), Giambattista Tiepolo (Le Tentazioni di Sant'Antonio, La Madonna del Carmelo), Pietro Longhi (Concerto familiare), Canaletto (Vista del Canal Grande, Imbarcadero di San Marco). Italian art from the 800’s is well represented, the neo-classical by Andrea Appiani (‘l'Olimpo’ and ‘il Ritratto’ by Ugo Foscolo), for the Romantic period the work of Francesco Hayez, director of the Academy for a lung time, amongst which the very famous painting – ‘Il Bacio’. Giovanni Fattori is also present , principle representative of the ‘macchiaioli’ style (il Carro Rosso), and Pellizza da Volpedo.
Address
via Brera 28
I - 20121 Milan
tel. 0039-02-722631
tel. 0039-02-89421146 information and booking
fax 0039-02-72001140
Public transport
MM1 Cairoli - MM2 Lanza - MM3 Montenapoleone
tram 1-4-8-12-14-27
bus 61-97
