Palazzo Brentani, Neoclassical palace in Via Manzoni, Milan, Italy

Palazzo Brentani is a three-story neoclassical structure on Via Manzoni with a symmetrical facade decorated by ornamental cornices and portrait medallions. It shares a connected complex with an adjacent palazzo that together houses art galleries today.

The palace was built before 1720 for Count Giuseppe Brentano and stayed with his family until the early 19th century, when it was sold to the Greppi counts. Luigi Canonica gave it its present facade in 1829. On 4 August 1848 Charles Albert, king of Sardinia, spoke from the first-floor balcony to a crowd protesting the armistice with Austria and was narrowly missed by a rifle shot.

The facade displays portrait medallions of important Italian figures as a tribute to thinkers and artists. These profiles serve as a visual recognition of individuals who shaped Italian culture and thought.

The building sits on a busy central address in Milan and is easily reached on foot. Its interiors can be visited as part of the art galleries, so checking access times in advance helps plan your visit.

The palace is also known as Ca' Brentana, a nickname from a sonnet by Milanese poet Carlo Porta. The first-floor balcony over the door was a standard feature of noble palaces on grand streets, built so residents could watch parades and processions pass below.