# Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan > The Ambrosiana is one of Europe's oldest libraries and picture galleries, founded by Cardinal Federico Borromeo in the early 17th century, five minutes from the Duomo. It holds Leonardo's Portrait of a Musician, Caravaggio's Basket of Fruit, Raphael's vast cartoon for the School of Athens and pages of the Codex Atlanticus. Entry is paid; allow about 90 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-ambrosiana - City: [Milan](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan), Italy - YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid - Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, closed Monday - Highlights: Leonardo, Caravaggio, Raphael's cartoon, the Codex - Library: The 17th-century reading room is on the route - Time needed: About 90 minutes - Metro: Duomo (M1, M3) or Cordusio (M1), 5 minutes - Coordinates: 45.46348, 9.18579 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1609** — the library opened — among Europe's first public ones (source: English Wikipedia) - **1618** — Cardinal Borromeo founded the picture gallery (source: English Wikipedia) - **Codex Atlanticus** — the largest collection of Leonardo's drawings and notes (source: English Wikipedia) - **c. 1599** — Caravaggio's Basket of Fruit (source: English Wikipedia) - **The cartoon** — Raphael's full-size drawing for the School of Athens (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history The Ambrosiana was founded by **Federico Borromeo**, cardinal-archbishop of Milan and cousin of St Charles Borromeo, who wanted a centre of learning open to scholars and sent agents across Europe and the East to buy manuscripts. The **library** opened in **1609**, named after St Ambrose, the city's patron, and was one of the first in Europe to admit outside readers. In **1618** the cardinal gave it his collection of paintings and drawings, creating the **picture gallery** and an academy for young artists. Borromeo chose the works himself and wrote about them, prizing not only Italian masters but also Flemish painters, then rarely collected. ## The treasures The most famous painting is **Caravaggio**'s **Basket of Fruit** (c. 1599), one of the first independent still lifes in Italian art, with wilting leaves and a wormhole in the apple. Nearby hangs **Leonardo**'s **Portrait of a Musician**, his only panel portrait still in Milan. A room of its own holds **Raphael**'s huge **cartoon** for the School of Athens in the Vatican — a full-size preparatory drawing about eight metres long, the only cartoon of that scale by him to survive. The library displays rotating pages of Leonardo's **Codex Atlanticus**, the largest collection of his drawings and notes, from machines to geometry. ## The reading room and library The route passes through the 17th-century **Sala Federiana** reading room, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and a wooden gallery; the library still serves researchers. The gallery also has **Titian**, **Botticelli**'s Madonna of the Canopy, **Bernardino Luini** and other followers of Leonardo, and the delicate landscapes and flowers of **Jan Brueghel** that the cardinal loved. Rooms are small and rarely crowded. ## What to see - **Basket of Fruit** — Caravaggio. - **Portrait of a Musician** — Leonardo da Vinci. - **School of Athens cartoon** — Raphael, full size. - **Codex Atlanticus** — Leonardo's pages. - **Sala Federiana** — the 17th-century reading room. - **Jan Brueghel and Botticelli** — the cardinal's favourites. ## How the visit works You enter from Piazza Pio XI through the palace courtyard. The gallery loops over two floors — early painting and Botticelli, Raphael's cartoon, then Leonardo, Caravaggio and the Flemish masters — with the Codex pages shown in the library beside the Sala Federiana. Labels are in Italian and English, and lighting is dimmed around paper works. > **A quiet museum by the Duomo** The Ambrosiana is five minutes from Piazza del Duomo, yet almost never has a queue — unlike the Last Supper. If you couldn't get Last Supper tickets, come here: the Portrait of a Musician and the Codex pages are genuine Leonardo too. ## How to get there 1. Metro M1 or M3 to **Duomo**, 5 minutes on foot. 2. Metro M1 to **Cordusio**, 5 minutes on foot. 3. From [Piazza del Duomo](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/piazza-del-duomo), along Via Torino and left — 5 minutes. 4. From the [Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sant-ambrogio), 15 minutes' walk. ## Is the Ambrosiana worth it? Yes, especially for lovers of Leonardo and Caravaggio: you can see their real works and drawings in peace, and Raphael's cartoon is astonishing in scale. It slots easily into a day around the Duomo. Children usually enjoy the Codex pages full of machine designs. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check it isn't a Monday - [ ] Buy a ticket at the desk or online - [ ] Find the Basket of Fruit and the Musician - [ ] See Raphael's cartoon - [ ] Walk through the Sala Federiana ## Milan's museums: compare and choose Museums and galleries in Milan rated by YesGo. - [The Last Supper](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/last-supper) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Paid, booking only - [San Siro Stadium](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/san-siro) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Paid - [La Scala](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/la-scala) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Sforza Castle](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sforza-castle) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Courtyards free, museums paid - [Pinacoteca Ambrosiana](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-ambrosiana) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid - [Pinacoteca di Brera](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-di-brera) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid ## A day around the Duomo The cathedral and its roof, Piazza del Duomo, the Ambrosiana and the Galleria. 1. [Milan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/milan-cathedral) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Paid 2. [Piazza del Duomo](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/piazza-del-duomo) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Pinacoteca Ambrosiana](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-ambrosiana) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid 4. [Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/galleria-vittorio-emanuele) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Ambrosiana isn't the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio: both are named after Milan's patron saint, but this is a library and gallery by the Duomo, while the basilica is an ancient church 15 minutes west. ## Tips - Closed on Mondays. - Hardly any queues. - Real Leonardo, no booking. - Five minutes from the Duomo. ## Questions ### What can you see at the Ambrosiana? Caravaggio's Basket of Fruit, Leonardo's Portrait of a Musician, Raphael's School of Athens cartoon and pages of the Codex Atlanticus. ### Where is the Ambrosiana? On Piazza Pio XI, five minutes' walk from Milan Cathedral. ### When is the Ambrosiana closed? Usually on Mondays. ### How long should I allow? About 90 minutes. ### What is the Codex Atlanticus? The largest collection of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings and notes; the museum shows pages in rotation. ## How we checked History and collection from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Biblioteca Ambrosiana; Codex Atlanticus - Official site ambrosiana.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.