Pinacoteca di Brera

At 28 Via Brera is one of the most surprising cultural spots in Milan. The Pinacoteca in Brera is a gallery of classical and modern art of international calibre, with a large collection of paintings especially those from the Veneto and Lombardy.

In its 40 or so rooms you'll find numerous masterpieces including the Cristo morto - Dead Christ - by Andrea Mantegna; the Cena in Emmaus - 'The Supper at Emmaus' by Caravaggio; the Pietà by Giovanni Bellini; the Sposalizio della Vergine - The Marriage of the Virgin - by Raffaello; and Il bacio - The Kiss - by Francesco Hayez, arguably the most famous, romantic scene in the history of Italian art.

In the courtyard entrance there is a marble statue by Canova named Napoleone Bonaparte come Marte pacificatore - Napoleon Bonaparte as Mars the Peacemaker. This is a copy of the original that stands in Apsley House in London.

As well as the Pinacoteca, the Palazzo di Brera also houses the Accademia di Belle Arti - the Fine Art Academy -, the Braidense National Library, the Brera Observatory and the Botanical Gardens, a veritable open-air museum, complete with irises, waterlilies and plenty of peace and quiet.