La Scala
Milan, Italy
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
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Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Paid; free on the first Sunday of the month
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Tuesday–Sunday, closed Monday
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 2 h
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlights
- Raphael, Caravaggio, Hayez, Mantegna, Piero
- Tickets
- Official site pinacotecabrera.org and the desk
- Time needed
- About 2 hours
- Metro
- Lanza (M2) or Montenapoleone (M3), 5–7 minutes
Key facts
1809the gallery opened under Napoleon
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English Wikipedia1504Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin
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English Wikipedia1606Caravaggio painted the Supper at Emmaus
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English Wikipedia1859Francesco Hayez painted The Kiss
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English WikipediaCanovathe courtyard's bronze Napoleon follows his model
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English WikipediaA short history
The Brera palace was built in the 17th century as a Jesuit college; in the 18th century it became home to the Academy of Fine Arts, a library, an observatory and a botanical garden — all still here. The gallery was created under Napoleon and opened in 1809, filled with paintings taken from closed churches and monasteries across northern Italy to make Milan's great museum.
That's why Brera is so rich in large altarpieces — once scattered in churches, now gathered in one place. The collection spans Lombard and Venetian painting from the 14th to the 20th century, plus masterpieces from other Italian schools.
The masterpieces
Brera's best-known works are Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin (1504), painted when he was 21, and Piero della Francesca's Montefeltro Altarpiece, with an ostrich egg hanging from a shell above the Madonna. Nearby is Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus (1606), dark and hushed, quite unlike his bright early work.
Many come for The Kiss by Francesco Hayez (1859), perhaps Italy's most famous 19th-century painting: a young man in a hat kissing a girl in a blue dress on a shadowy stair. The gallery also has outstanding Mantegna — including his Lamentation over Christ, seen in startling foreshortening from the feet — plus Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
What to see
- Marriage of the Virgin — Raphael, 1504.
- Montefeltro Altarpiece — Piero della Francesca.
- Supper at Emmaus — Caravaggio, 1606.
- The Kiss — Francesco Hayez, 1859.
- Lamentation over Christ — Andrea Mantegna.
- Napoleon in the courtyard — bronze after Canova.
How the gallery works
The gallery fills the palace's first floor, reached by the grand staircase from Napoleon's courtyard. Numbered rooms run in a loop from 14th-century altarpieces through the Venetians and Lombards to Raphael, Caravaggio and the 19th century. Labels are in Italian and English, there's an audio guide, and large bags go in the free cloakroom.
The Brera quarter
Around the palace lies the Brera quarter, the most picturesque corner of old Milan: cobbled Via Brera, Via Fiori Chiari and Via Madonnina, with antique shops, galleries, cafés and terrace restaurants. Artists and Academy students once lived here, and it was nicknamed Milan's Montmartre.
In the evening tables spill onto the streets, and Via Fiori Chiari hosts an antiques market on some weekends. Through the same courtyard as the gallery you can enter the small, quiet 18th-century Brera Botanical Garden for free.
How to get there
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Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- La Scala is about 8 min away on foot.
- Sforza Castle is about 11 min away on foot.
- Via Monte Napoleone is about 12 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro M2 to Lanza, 5 minutes on foot.
- Metro M3 to Montenapoleone, 7 minutes on foot.
- From La Scala, 7 minutes along Via Verdi.
- From Sforza Castle, 10 minutes' walk.
Is the Pinacoteca di Brera worth it?
Yes, if you love painting: it's one of Italy's finest galleries, yet compact enough not to exhaust you, unlike the Uffizi. Even if a museum wasn't in your plans, come for Hayez and Raphael — then wander the Brera lanes for coffee and antiques.
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Milan's museums: compare and choose
Museums and galleries in Milan rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| The Last Supper | 72 | 30 min | Paid, booking only | 25 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Siro Stadium | 58 | 1 h 30 min | Paid | 5.0 km |
| La Scala | 51 | 1 h | Paid | 9 min walk |
| Sforza Castle | 48 | 2 h | Courtyards free, museums paid | 11 min walk |
| Pinacoteca di Brerayou are here | 37 | 2 h | Paid | — |
| Pinacoteca Ambrosiana | 37 | 1 h 30 min | Paid | 17 min walk |
Brera and the fashion district
The Pinacoteca di Brera, a stroll through Brera, La Scala and Via Monte Napoleone.
- Pinacoteca di Brerayou are here2 h · Paid
- 9 min walk from the previous stopLa Scala1 h · Paid
- 8 min walk from the previous stopVia Monte Napoleone45 min · Free
- 9 min walk from the previous stopGalleria Vittorio Emanuele II30 min · Free
4 places · about 4 h 41 min with walks · 26 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Closed on Mondays.
- Free on the first Sunday.
- Don't miss The Kiss.
- The Brera quarter is all around.
Questions
What are the highlights of the Pinacoteca di Brera?
Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus, Hayez's The Kiss, Piero della Francesca's altarpiece and Mantegna.
When is Brera free?
Usually on the first Sunday of the month.
How long do you need at Brera?
About two hours for the main rooms.
When is the Pinacoteca di Brera closed?
On Mondays.
Where is the Pinacoteca di Brera?
In the Brera palace at Via Brera 28, 7 minutes' walk from La Scala.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Pinacoteca di Brera
- Official site pinacotecabrera.org
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