Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Art museum near Duomo, Milan, Italy
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is a private art museum a short walk from the Duomo in Milan, holding paintings, drawings, and sculptures that span several centuries. The interior divides into separate halls, each displaying different schools and periods, with Italian masters forming the core of what visitors see.
Cardinal Federico Borromeo founded the institution in 1618 as part of a broader project that included a library and an academy for painters. Over the following centuries, donations and acquisitions expanded the holdings, and the connection to church circles continued to shape the gallery.
The name honors Saint Ambrose, patron saint of Milan, reflecting the religious foundation that shaped the institution from its beginning. Visitors today walk through rooms where sacred and secular art hang side by side, showing how the church once guided both spiritual life and artistic education.
The entrance sits on a side street near Piazza del Duomo, making it easy to combine with other central sights on the same day. An elevator and wide corridors help visitors with mobility needs, and the ground floor holds most of the key pieces.
A full-scale preparatory cartoon for Raphael's School of Athens fresco hangs here, showing parts of the composition in its original working size. This drawing offers a rare look at how Renaissance masters planned their large wall paintings before transferring the design to plaster.
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