Pinacoteca di Brera

Pinacoteca di Brera is located in a beautiful 17th-century building, originally designed by Francesco Maria Richini and later extended by Giuseppe Piermarini.

It is a state museum, directed by Angelo Crespi since January 2024. The Institute is located within Palazzo Brera, a space that houses other historical institutions, and includes the Pinacoteca, the Braidense Library, and Palazzo Citterio, as well as managing additional spaces across Milan, including the Mediateca Santa Sofia.

The Pinacoteca di Brera was officially established in 1809, although a first, heterogeneous collection of works had already been gathered starting in 1776—expanded in the years that followed—for educational purposes, alongside the Academy of Fine Arts established by Maria Theresa of Austria. The collection was intended to form a body of exemplary works for the training of students.