Page 60 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Milan & The Lakes

58  MILAN AREA B Y AREA

e Pinacoteca Ambrosiana

The Ambrosiana art gallery was founded in 1618 by
Cardinal Federico Borromeo, the cousin of San Carlo
and his successor in charge of the archdiocese of Milan.
A true art connoisseur, Borromeo planned the gallery
as part of a vast cultural project which included the
Ambrosiana Library, opened in 1609, and the Accademia
del Disegno (1620) for the training of young Counter-
Reformation artists. The gallery, founded to provide
inspiration for emerging artists, held 172 paintings –
some of which already belonged to Borromeo, while . Madonna del Padiglione
The restoration of this work
others were purchased later after painstaking research by Botticelli has revealed its
by the cardinal.The collection was then enlarged thanks masterful and elegant
to private donations. brushwork.

Adoration of the Magi
Cardinal Borromeo considered this painting by Titian (purchased in
1558) a treasure trove for painters “for the multitude of things therein”.

The library is on
the ground floor.

Key
Borromeo Collection and
15th–16th-century paintings
Galbiati Wing
De Pecis Collection & 19th century
Sculpture

Gallery Guide
The most famous works are held in the Borromeo
Collection, which was subsequently enriched with
important 15th–16th-century paintings and sculptures.
The Galbiati Wing contains 16th–20th-century paintings,
a collection of objects, the Sinigaglia Collection of miniature
portraits and scientific instruments.

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