Milan. The Grande Brera Museum is an ambitious project that integrates the historical collection of the Pinacoteca di Brera (one of the most important venues in Italy, with half a million visitors annually), with modern and contemporary art. It now adds to its spaces the adjacent Citterio Palace, a venue that opened its doors on December 6, the day of Saint Ambrose, patron saint of Milan. It is connected to the art gallery by a glass walkway and makes the dream that director Franco Russoli envisioned more than half a century ago come true.
In 1972, the State acquired the Citterio Palace, which was a milestone in the face of persistent state inefficiency. The space faced decades of challenges, from changes in government to transformations in cultural tastes and needs. In addition, it has had to face complex political, legal and technical litigation that has left its mark on the architectural stratification of the building, making it a tangible testimony of its bumpy path towards achieving its objectives.
The final and decisive phase of the works was carried out between 2015 and 2018, with an investment of 23 million euros provided by the Ministry of Culture. Subsequently, the museum installation was built that today allows it to be enjoyed.
La Grande Brera expands a cultural center that originated in the 18th century after the suppression of the Society of Jesus, promoted by María Teresa of Austria. This group integrates institutions born in the 1770s, with the exception of the Astronomical Observatory, founded in 1762. These are the Academy of Fine Arts, the Braidense National Library and the botanical garden, which consolidate its educational, scientific and cultural vocation.
The Brera Pinacoteca, inaugurated in 1809 during the Napoleonic period, was born with a pedagogical focus. Its collection, composed mainly of confiscated ecclesiastical assets, was designed to complement the training of students at the Academy of Fine Arts, reinforcing the link between both institutions.
The Citterio Palace collection is made up of 200 works. It begins in room 40, a large lobby on the main floor of the site, where the visitor encounters the vibrant painting of Fiumana (Avalancha de gente), by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, 4 meters long. This work is the prelude to the famous Fourth Estate (Cuarto Estado), by the same artist, preserved in the Gallery of Modern Art in Milan. The work represents a crowd of workers and peasants advancing with determination towards the viewer, led by a man with a firm stance and a mother with a newborn, symbolizing social struggles and the dignity of work.
▲ Bull’s head on the table, 1942, painting by Pablo Picasso.Photo courtesy of the Grande Brera Museum / Citterio Palace
This 1895 painting connects the historic and modern art of the two buildings. The collection of the Citterio Palace is made up of two important private donations from the first half of the 20th century: that of Emilio and Maria Jesi, which consists of 80 works by artists such as Modigliani, Boccioni, Carrà, Sironi, Morandi, Picasso and others, and that of Lamberto Vitali, art critic, who formed a heterogeneous collection that privileges the visual aspect over the chronological, uniting ancient objects with modern ones: it incorporates Egyptian jugs, medieval mosaics and Renaissance art with Giorgio Morandi. This includes the 23 Fantasies, by Mario Mafai, a visionary series that violently denounces the horrors of the Second World War and racial persecution, donated by Aldo Bassetti.
The second half of the 20th century will surely grow over time. For now it is represented by the legacy of Cesare Zavattini, which includes 152 miniature self-portraits measuring less than 10 centimeters by artists such as Burri, Fontana and Pistoletto.
The rest of the building will be used for three spaces for temporary exhibitions: on the ground floor dedicated to digital art. The basement is inaugurated by the 10 site-specific monumental wood works by the sculptor and set designer Mario Ceroli (1938).
La Grande Brera reinvents Milan’s artistic core, transforming the museum into a dynamic link between medieval artistic legacy and contemporary creativity, consolidating its role as a cultural bridge connecting the city’s past and future.