In a dramatic culmination to a half-century saga of delays and false starts, Milan is finally unveiling its ambitious answer to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery: the Palazzo Citterio, a stunning 18th-century mansion transformed into a world-class modern art museum. The December 7th opening marks a pivotal moment in Milan’s quest to establish itself among Italy’s cultural heavyweights.
The Grande Brera Vision: From Cultural Backwater to Revenue Powerhouse
The numbers tell a sobering story. While Florence’s Uffizi Gallery generated a staggering €63 million ($68.5 million) in 2023 and Rome’s Colosseum approached €100 million ($108.7 million), Milan’s prestigious Pinacoteca di Brera museum complex managed just €5 million ($5.4 million). But Angelo Crespi, Brera’s ambitious director, sees the Palazzo Citterio as the key to changing that equation.
“We’re creating a cultural ecosystem that can finally compete with Florence and Rome,” Crespi told Forbes. “This isn’t just about art – it’s about transforming Milan’s cultural economy.”
Inside the Collection: A Modern Art Powerhouse
The Palazzo Citterio’s inaugural collection reads like a who’s who of modern masters:
- Pablo Picasso’s revolutionary “Head of a Bull” (1942)
- A rare 1919 still-life by Giorgio Morandi
- Umberto Boccioni’s dynamic “Rissa in Galleria” (1910)
- Works by Amedeo Modigliani and Georges Braque
The museum’s foundation rests on two transformative donations from the Jesi and Vitali families (1976 and 1984), with recent acquisitions including additional Morandi paintings and pieces by Mario Schifano and Arturo Martini.
The $23 Million Journey: Overcoming Five Decades of Setbacks
The path to opening hasn’t been smooth. After the Italian government purchased the building in 1972, the project faced:
- An abandoned 1980s renovation by British architect James Stirling
- A €23 million revamp in 2018 that failed due to humidity issues
- Decades of bureaucratic delays and funding challenges
The Economic Gambit: Can Milan Compete?
The stakes are high. Currently drawing 500,000 annual visitors to the Pinacoteca, Brera projects an additional 50,000 visitors to the Palazzo Citterio in its first year. The recent addition of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” to the Brera portfolio could push total revenue to €10 million and visitor numbers to 1.5 million.
A New Era for Italian Museums
The Palazzo Citterio’s opening reflects a broader transformation in Italian museum management. Thanks to 2014 reforms introduced by former culture minister Dario Franceschini, institutions now enjoy greater autonomy in revenue generation and operations.
“We’re seeing a renaissance in Italian museum management,” Crespi explained. “The old narrative about Italian museums being unable to generate significant revenue is finally changing. We’re not just preserving art – we’re building sustainable cultural institutions.”
With its strategic location just 200 meters from the Pinacoteca di Brera and the historic Braidense library, the Palazzo Citterio isn’t just a new museum – it’s Milan’s bid to reshape Italy’s cultural landscape and capture a larger share of the country’s growing cultural tourism market.
Photo (Newsroom and Social Media) via Palazzo Citterio/Brera Design District
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