The Brera Gallery was officially established in 1809, even though a first heterogeneous collection with educational purpose existed already from 1776 – and then increased in the following years – alongside the Accademia di Belle Arti, requested by Mary Therese of Austria to offer the students the opportunity to study lofty masterpieces of art close up. Brera become a museum to host the most important works of art from all of the areas conquered by the French armies. So unlike other important museums in Italy such as the Uffizi, Brera did not start out life as the private collection of a prince or nobleman but as the product of a deliberate policy decision. Paintings confiscated from churches and convents throughout Lombardy with the religious orders’ dissolution began to pour into the museum in the early years of the 19th century, soon to be joined by artworks of similar provenance from other areas of the Kingdom of Italy. This explains why the collection comprises chiefly religious works, many of them large altarpieces, and accounts for Brera’s special aura on which later acquisitions have had only a minor impact.

Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002), architect and furniture designer, left an enormous amount of inventions and designs, carefully kept by his family in his studio museum in Piazza Castello.  Castiglioni's studio museum can be visited on appointment throughout the year.

American artist Dan Flavin installed 'Untitled' at Santa Maria Annunciata in 1996, following an invitation from Italian priest Giulio Greco.

The best pizza I have ever tried (highly recommend Diavola Gialla)!

To really reach/understand a city you must live there or, at least, acting like you do. Nothing makes you feel more like a Milanese D.O.C. than stopping by Frida's on a Sunday morning to buy some flowers. Located in Brera this tiny shop has an extraordinary colour palette of flowers and plants. After that we just take a walk in the neighbourhood holding our bunch of Brassica Oleracea and our day is made.