The town of fashion offers the visitors not only the splendid masterpiece by Da Vinci but the splendid collections of Italian masterpieces. One of them is Pinacoteca di Brera considered to be one of the most valuable in Italy.
It is located insode of the former Jesuits monastery, which after the order’s casation became the host of Accademia di Belle Arti founded by Austrian Empress Maria Teresa in 1776.
'Il Bacio
The collection of plaster models aimed for art students was enriched by the artifacts taken from churches during French occupation, and it was Napoleon himself, who’s order established the new gallery, which at the end of 19th century became separated from the Academy.
Today the Brera Gallery consists of 38 rooms with paintings divided by the time of creation and artist schools. The main collection gathered the works of all Italian great masters from 13th century to present times. Besides Italian art there is a small, but noticeable group of Flemish and Dutch paintings with masterpieces like Last Supper by Van Dyck and the Village by Breughel the Older, not mentioning Rembrandt and El Greco.
Among 15th century painters exceptional are works of Mantegna ( Dead Christ ), Titian and Tintoretto.
The 16th century opens with Raphael‘s masterpiece Marriage of the Virgin commissioned for Franciscan church in Città di Castello.
The names of the artists on display in following rooms may fill the Italian art history book, we mention here just two great names Caravaggio Supper at Emmaus 1606 and Tiepolo – Madonna del Carmelo. One of the last rooms bursts the most popular painting of Lombardian Romantism – Il Bacio by Francesco Hayez painted in 1859, in the year of outbreak of the war which led to Italian Unification. The farewell kiss symbolizes the hope and enthusiasm connected with the fight for independence.
[ photo courtesy of bleucerise]
