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About
Pinacoteca di Brera is a national art gallery in Milan, located in Palazzo Brera, on the homonymous street.
Palazzo Brera also houses the National Braidense Library (Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense), the Brera Observatory, the Botanical Garden, the Lombard Institute of Sciences and Letters (Istituto Lombardo di Scienze e Lettere) and the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti).
The museum, specialized in Venetian and Lombard art, exhibits some of the most famous Italian paintings, and offers an itinerary that ranges from prehistory to contemporary art, with masterpieces by artists of the 20th century.
SHORT HISTORY
The Brera Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1776 by decree of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, at the request of Count Carlo Giuseppe di Firmian.
Andrea Appiani was appointed Commissioner for Fine Arts in 1805, and works of art from the churches suppressed by Napoleon began to be brought to Brera. In 1806, Giuseppe Bossi inaugurated the first museum of the Academy.
In 1808, the Napoleonic Halls were created, to house the galleries of the Kingdom of Italy. On August 15, 1809, on Napoleon’s birthday, the halls were inaugurated, dominated by the great Monument to Napoleon I by Antonio Canova.
The actual opening of the galleries took place on April 20, 1810. In the following years, paintings continued to be brought to the gallery, especially in 1811 and 1812, in particular from the collection of Archbishop Monti of Milan.
In 1814, at the fall of the Napoleonic government, the Congress of Vienna sanctioned the gallery for the assets stolen from the original owners.
In 1926, the Association of Friends of Brera (Associazione degli Amici di Brera) was created, and several masterpieces were purchased.
During the Second World War, the works in the gallery were secured, but the palace suffered serious damage due to the bombings of 1943. The Pinacoteca began its resurrection in February 1946, thanks to the funding of some noble Milanese families.
HOW TO GET THERE
The closest Metro station is Montenapoleone, located about 500 meters away, on the Metro Line 3. The closest bus stop is Piazza San Marco, located about 100 meters away, on the bus Line 61.
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