Pinacoteca di Brera

The Brera Pinacoteca is a museum in Milan, northern Italy. It contains one of the most important collections of art in Europe, with works dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The museum is housed in the Palazzo Brera, which was built in the early 18th century. The Brera Pinacoteca was founded as a private collection in 1776 by the Jesuit father Gaetano Zani. In 1809, when the Napoleonic regime transferred the art collections of the suppressed monasteries to the Brera, the museum acquired its present name. In 1882, the Pinacoteca was opened to the public. The collection has been expanded by subsequent acquisitions and donations. The Palazzo Brera is a late Baroque palace, built by the architect Simone Cantoni between 1723 and 1727. The palace was commissioned by the Jesuit father Gaetano Zani, who wanted a building to house his art collection. The facade is decorated with a large number of sculpted reliefs. The museum is housed in the Palazzo Brera, which was built in the early 18th century. The Pinacoteca contains one of the most important collections of art in Europe, with works dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The collection includes paintings by Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio.