Pinacoteca di Brera

Ads

Sponsored Links

Pinacoteca di Brera is an extraordinary art collection that includes works of Bramante and Caravaggio in what is often considered the most beautiful collection of art in Lombardy. Pinacoteca di Brera was originally a collection of paintings by students at the Accademia di Belle Arti which is in the same building. The paintings have been collected from churches and monasteries suppressed by Napoleon's regime.

Although it can not compete with the Louvre or London's National Gallery, the Pinacoteca is one impressive collection that excels in quality and that is not overly large to make visiting even more enjoyable. The collection contains works by Italian artists on a period between 13 and 20 centuries. Pinacoteca di Brera has its share of works of art of great importance which include works by Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Piero della Francesca Donato Bramante and Caravaggio.

The building hosting the collection, a real palazzo was started in 1651 by Francesco Maria Richini the Jesuits, who wanted to host a college astronomy observatory and a botanical garden. In 1776 a part of the building was allocated to the Academy of Fine Arts. Picture Gallery was founded as a study collection of plaster casts and drawings for students of the academy. Today, the 38 rooms are arranged in a circuit that begins and ends with the paintings of Italian artists of the 20th century. Two of the rooms are rooms where art works are restored and the public can see through walls of glass.

Orto Botanico is located behind the Pinacoteca di Brera is a beautiful place, full of herbs and vegetable gardens used for research. The oldest ginkgo biloba trees are found here and in Europe were brought from China in the early 1700s. They have over 30 feet tall now and are in a corner of this garden.

Sponsored Links