GRANDE BRERA – PINACOTECA DI BRERA

Based on a initial core of works from 1776, intended for the training of students at the’Academy of Fine Arts, the Brera Art Gallery was officially established on 15 August 1809 at the behest of Napoleon Bonaparte. Le requisitions from churches and convents led to the strong presence of sacred subjects in the collection, a characteristic that still defines its identity today, only partly modified by subsequent acquisitions.

From 2015, thanks to its institutional autonomy, the Art Gallery was able to embark on an ambitious project: Bringing Brera back to the centre of Milan's cultural life, by placing the visitor to the heart of the museum experience. I Dialogues between masterpieces from the collection and guest works stimulate comparisons, insights and reflections, while at the same time becoming an opportunity to rearrange entire exhibition sections, reorganising the collection e renewing the cultural offer, with an intensive programme of events and initiatives, including international ones.

The works, displayed on a single register and enhanced by the warm wall tones and by a’dedicated LED lighting, follow a chronological path intertwined with a subdivision by regional painting schools, including paintings mainly from Marche, Veneto and Lombardy. The exhibition rhythm highlights each individual painting, accompanying the visitor with guided tours, audioguides, wall texts e disclosure captions, designed for a diverse audience.

Transparency, accessibility, comfort and welcome are the keywords of a Modern, multimedia, inclusive and interactive art gallery: a museum-laboratory in constant turmoil, which is also renewed through a updated website (pinacotecabrera.org) and the Brera Plus+, a 24-hour digital museum.