LEONARDO’S LAST SUPPER AND THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE
Leonardo and Bramante at the court of the duke Ludovico il Moro

Leonardo’s Last Supper: an absolute artistic masterpiece Milan is proud to host, a painting that fully summarized Leonardo’s thoughts and genius, explained through an historical, iconographic and technical approach that fully brings us back to Leonardo’s reality and epoch.
Leonardo and Bramante, two great minds of Italian Renaissance, reunited under the sponsorship of Ludovico il Moro (one of the most powerful man of the last decade of 15th century in Italy) started in Santa Maria delle Grazie an authentic cultural and artistic revolution.

BRERA PAINTING GALLERY
Masterpieces of Italian painting

Historical painting gallery created next to the Academy of Fine Arts, Brera hosts timeless masterpieces: from the Venetian school (Mantegna, Bellini, Tiziano, Veronese, Tintoretto, Canaletto) to the Lombard school (Foppa, Bramantino, Luini), from Piero della Francesca and Raffaello to Caravaggio; from 19th century famous paintings such as “Il bacio” by Hayez to the Jesi collection made of XX century works. 

PINACOTECA AMBROSIANA

After founding the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, in 1618 Cardinal Borromeo donated his precious painting, drawing and print collection “ad honorem Dei et cultum, publicamque utilitatem”, thus giving birth to one of the oldest examples of modern museum, where books and art combined in a global cultural project. Inside, in one of the most extraordinary Milan’s setting, you’ll find masterpieces by Raffaello, Leonardo, Tiziano, Caravaggio...

PAINTING GALLERY OF THE SFORZA CASTLE

An overwiew on Lombard painting from the 15th to the 18th century: from Michelino da Besozzo to Foppa, from Cesare da Sesto to Procaccini, to Cerano …, following the truly naturalistic style that best represents the local painting and sculpting tradition.

MUSEO DIOCESANO

This Diocesan museum is hosted on the over two thousand square metres built around the cloisters of the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio. Inside you’ll discover an almost unknown artistic heritage, made of paintings, sculptures and religious objects coming from archbishops’ collections and from Milanese parishes.

DUOMO STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

Magic colours and light play on the pillars of the Duomo through the stained glass windows. Hear your guide explain their fascinating story, the precious technique, the complex iconography, the restorations and the new projects for all the windows (both old and new) to understand and appreciate such a peculiar art.

THE TAPESTRY

Get to know the secrets of tapestry through the works on show in two important city museums: the Museo del Duomo and the Sforza Castle. In the first you’ll find a cycle of tapestry dealing with religious subjects and precious altar covers. At the Castle, in the large Sala della Balla (that used to host ducal celebrations and ball games) you’ll see 12 big tapestries, representing the 12 months, drawn by Bramantino and woven in Vigevano in the early days of the 16th century. A truly big calendar showing fascinating images that reproduce the various activities carried out throughout the year in a vivid narration. 

THE CATHEDRAL’S TREASURE

Discover the religious and cultural value of a precious and almost unknown Treasure hosted in the underground spaces of the Cathedral. Ivory chalices artistically carved, crystal monstrances, Silver reliquaries and priceless objects in gold, enamels, gems. Precious materials, but also skilful talent of man serving God.

MUSEUM OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

In the rooms of the Sforza Castle giving on the severe Rocchetta courtyard you’ll find a unique collection made of precious harpsichords, finely decorated virginals, 16th/17th century chord instruments, such as lutes, lyres, psalteries; odd instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, with its chords and keyboard; prestigious lutes coming from Brescia and Cremona and a Stradivari dating 1671; wind and ethnic instruments. Prepare for a bit of history, technique and plenty of anecdotes …

THE SCULPTURE – MUSEUM OF ANCIENT ART

In the ground floor rooms of the Sforza Castle follow a chronological journey dedicated to sculpture from third to 15th century, going through massive Romanesque fragments to elegant elongated Gothic statues, up to the last masterpiece realized by Michelangelo: the Pietà Rondanini, his spiritual and artistic testament, a very moving work connected with the drama of death and the deep religious feeling of his author.

GALLERY OF MODERN ART

In a neoclassical Villa – Villa Reale – hidden in the green of its park, in spite of its very central position, in rooms with stuccos and painted ceilings, big mirrors and chimneys, you’ll follow an artistic path made of paintings and sculptures of 19th century famous Italian artists including Canova, Appiani and Hayez, Medardo Rosso and Gemito. Also hosted in this prestigious setting the Quarto Stato, Bertolucci’s icon for his film ‘Novecento’.

GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

In the heart of the city, within the complex of Palazzo Reale, the Civico Museo d'Arte Contemporanea offers a selection of the priceless Milan’s collections of modern and contemporary art from the early 20th century down to the eighties.