The Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan hosts one of the most important art galleries in Italy. It began as a collection in 1776 and was expanded over time, becoming a museum in 1809. The building originally housed a Jesuit college and observatory, and later cultural institutions. The gallery houses a renowned collection of Venetian and Lombard paintings, and the botanical garden contains plants depicted in works in the collection. Outside is a monument dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci and his disciples.

2. MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY “ LEONARDO DA VINCI “
Situated in the centre of Milan, near Sant’Ambrogio church, it is the largest technical-scientific
museum in Italy and it preserves the heritage of unique models and drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci’s
machines. In fact, a gallery is completely dedicated to the Florentine genius. Here we can find the
aero naval pavilion, with documents about the history of the flight, from the study of birds to the first
machines by Leonardo. It is located in a Benedictine cloister which became a monastery in the XVI
century. At the time of the Napoleonic occupation it became a military hospital , then a set of
barracks, and it became a museum only on the 15 February 1953 thanks to the Italian President
Alcide de Gasperi. Only at the beginning it included a library, two bars and two halls of Congress.
Between 1953 and 1956, the museum of flight was created. In 1970 there was the first tour of this
museum.

3. LEONARDO’S VINEYARD
First stop
Leonardo da Vinci’s talent is deeply connected to Milan. Leonardo was sent to Ludovico Sforza’s
court by Lorenzo il Magnifico, glorious lord of the Republic of Florence and symbol of the union
between unconventional political power and worshipping of Arts and Beauty, who sent Leonardo as
a diplomatic homage to his Milanese friend. Leonardo was introduced in the Lombard city as a
musician, creator of parties and “oddities” for the entertainment of one of the most important courts
in northern Italy at the time.
We are in 1482, Leonardo is thirty years old and already considered as one of the most amazing
artists in the Florentine area, although too unpredictable and dissolute compared to his colleagues,
such as Botticelli. In this moment, the tight relationship with Milan, its culture, its various faces and
its places, which is guiding us through this trip, begins.
In particular, a very singular bond connects the place you are looking at and the Tuscan artist. In
1495, after a season of great works and after having gained a deserved fame in the Milanese area,
Leonardo is appointed by Ludovico to paint the “Last Supper” in the refectory of the convent of Santa
Maria delle Grazie, right in front of us, on the other side of the road. The result was simply great,
because the artist painted here one of his most valuable masterpieces.

4. What you can see is one of the few traces left of the ambitious dream of the Renaissance lord:
making this area in the west of the city centre a place devoted to celebrate his fame. The church you
can admire, Santa Maria delle Grazie, at which great names of that time (such as Bramante) worked,
was supposed to become the mausoleum of the Sforza family as well as the surrounding area,
including Atellani’s house, a residential district housed by the families nearest to Ludovico’s court.
Second stop
Almost at the end of his work, Leonardo received an uncommon gift from his lord: a vineyard of 60 x
175 meters, that was at the end of the garden of the house owned by the noble family Atellani.
We know that Leonardo had hoped to receive this sort of gift for long, with the idea to produce a
wine following his expectations and his tastes.
It's easy to imagine a possible scene: we are in the autumn 1498, Leonardo comes back to his
different yards after a long and working day. Before entering his house he crosses this street (Corso
Magenta), he heads into this direction of the farmland, that enclosed the house completely . At that
time, the place where we are was in open farmland. He steps through this entrance (result of the
restauration by the famous architect Portaluppi after the First World War) and he comes to the back
of the courtyard to check the condition of the vineyard.
Leonardo took care of agriculture and geology, he knew how to produce wine, as his father did.
Leonardo is an expert of this drink, as he learned to appreciate wine in his youth.
We can imagine him among the rows of vine checking the plants and the ground, but with his mind
already to the first harvest of the following year.
Third stop
But the destiny played a bad trick to the dream of the genius from Florence. The following year Milan
was occupied by the French and Leonardo ran away from Florence. When he was called by the
foreign occupants to finish the works he had started, he put a condition for his return: that the
estate had to be given back to him. Leonardo stayed in Milan until 1513 and perhaps he had the
opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his vineyard at last. He was fond of this property, which he even
mentioned in his will, written when he was dying, to give it to his favourite follower and to his most
trusted servant. It was April 1519… From that date on the vineyard, symbol of the relationship with
Leonardo and the city of Milan, underwent troubled times and followed the destiny of the city.
In the period of World War II it was attacked by bombs. Luck and the human genius allowed one of
the rare miracles of history: based on pictures taken by a Leonardo expert at the time of the
restoration by Portaluppi (around 1920) who had found the exact location of the vineyard, recent
digging permitted to locate the rows of the vineyard at Leonardo’s time. On occasion of Expo 2015,
honoring the hosting city and the theme of the manifestation (“Feeding the planet, energy for life”),
the vineyard was centre of an incredible scientific and historical project: by finding the DNA of the
original vineyard, it was possible to reconstruct the genetic profile and insert the same vinestock
Leonardo had raised! Now we have a product which is very similar to white wines of North and
Centre Italy called Malvasie. From that grapevine, today like in the past, grows the grape that
Leonardo appreciated five centuries ago…

5. SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE CHURCH: THE LAST SUPPER
In the refectory of the church we find one of the most famous works by Leonardo da Vinci: the fresco
The Last Supper. The location of this work was in the place where the monks used to eat. Therefore
the presence of this work in the daily ritual of having the meals showed how the life of the religious
community was an extension of the life of Christ and the apostles.
The Last Supper was commissioned to Leonardo by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, with the purpose
to make the church more beautiful. The painting, made of tempera directly on a wall, opened a new
kind of perspective. Leonardo's work is based on the Gospel of John, when Jesus announces to the
apostles that one of them will betray him. Leonardo renewed the iconography and studied the
"movements of the soul" of the apostles, who are shown as surprised. In the centre we find Jesus
and the apostles are arranged in four groups of three, each with a different mood and studied
individually in their psychological depth.

6. CASTELLO SFORZESCO
First stop: outside the Castle, coming from Piazzale Cadorna.
Topic: Short history of Castello Sforzesco.
A short history of Castello Sforzesco
It was considered for many years a symbol of foreign domination in Italy. Now Castello Sforzesco is
one of the major symbols of Milan, loved by its own citizens and by tourists who come every day to
visit it.
Not all we see now of the castle is original, in fact around centuries it had many restoration works,
partly damaging and partly contributing to its rebirth.
The Castle was built as a castle for the Visconti family. Here it is still possible to see the grey stone on
the “dead moat “ to separate the residential area from the troops housing.
In the middle of the 14th century, when the Sforza took control of the Castle, it was rebuilt with the
idea to make the city more beautiful, as well as to defend it better. In these years the Torre di Bona
was built, a tower situated in the middle of the complex, which we will see soon while continuing our
tour.
The Castle and the city had the period of splendour with Ludovico Maria: at his court were hosted
artists such as Bramante and da Vinci, of whom we have valuable witness.
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7. At the end of the century, under the French rule began the decaying period of the Castle whereby
many frescos and decorations were damaged. Under the Austrian domination the Castle was used
for military and civilian purposes: only at the end of 19th century began the long and the massive
interventions on the Castle.
Second stop: In the middle of the inner yard, coming through the main entrance (short stop)
Topic: Museums and events connected with Castello Sforzesco today
Thanks to the perfect relation between open and close spaces, the versatility and its strategic
location in the heart of the city, the Castle has many different functions and offers several kinds of
visits: from a tour of the museums to cultural events, to a visit for families, or simply a relaxed stroll
in the nearby park.
There are a lot of important museums in Milan, among others the one where the famous Pietà
Rondanini is exhibited, the Egyptian museum and the museum of music instruments.
Laboratories and school workshops are available for students, children and their families.
There is the possibility to see the military tunnel of the Castle which goes along the defense moat for
the lovers of the hidden corners of the Sforza complex.
Third stop: By the Torre Falconiera, close to the Sala delle Asse
Topic: Leonardo at Castello Sforzesco
A delightful trace of the presence of Leonardo in Milan is one of the most prestigious environments
in the Castello Sforzesco.
In this room, which owes its name to the function wooden lining used to make the environment less
cold, in 1498 Leonardo realized his famous decoration, which during the period of decay of the castle
risked getting lost forever, as the various foreign dominations covered the painting cycle with other
paintings.
Only the restoration work and the research which began at the end of the 19th century allowed to
discover the work.
Lifting your eyes to the ceiling you can look at the coat of arms of the Sforza-Este triumphing in the
centre, accompanied by an apparent pergola, which actually hides a set of pictures designed to
celebrate the family, which then continues on the walls of the room.
Another famous legacy of the genius of Leonardo is the Trivulzian Code, kept here in the castle: it
consists of over fifty autograph papers, referring to various fields, such as military and religious
architecture and literature.
In addition, a section of the castle dedicated to the Institution for the Vinci Collection, an area full of
bibliographic, photographic and other funds, which is one of the most important landmarks for
Leonardo’s scholars.

8. LEONARDO’S HORSE
In front of San Siro Hippodrome we can find a majestic bronze horse, inspired by an ambitious
project by Leonardo who wanted to create the world's largest equestrian statue.
The work, placed in 1999, is located on a granite and marble structure. In the background we can
admire the architecture of the hippodrome in liberty style.
The idea for this work was to celebrate Francesco Sforza’s conquers. Around 1483 Leonardo made
some drawings and around 1493 he made a model of the statue, but it was never really started.
Later Leonardo tried to resume work, but the hope of completing it vanished completely in 1499
with the fall of Ludovico il Moro. Leonardo left Milan and the model of the horse was even destroyed
by French soldiers who chose it as a target for their games.

9. PINACOTECA AMBROSIANA
The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana hosts the largest and most striking collection of Leonardo's papers. It
preserves the Atlantic Code which is displayed on occasion of art exhibitions every 3 months.
Thanks to these events too, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana also opened the Leonardi Hall, decorated by
the fresco of Christ crowned with thorns by Bernardino Luini and the new exhibition of Leonardo’s
musician. Inside we can also see copies of great masterpieces of the Renaissance, in particular by
Leonardo da Vinci, commissioned by Cardinal Federico Borromeo to its trustworthy artist in order to
leave a visible heritage to future generations. Copies of Leonardo’s works were: The Virgin of the
Rocks and The Last Supper.

10. CODEX ATLANTICUS
It is the most comprehensive collection of drawings and writings by Leonardo da Vinci.
It is preserved in the Ambrosiana Library in Milan. It was written between 1478 and 1519.
It deals with different scientific topics: flight, anatomy, astronomy, botanic, geography, math,
mechanics and drawings of machines and architecture.
CONCA INCORONATA
It is the greatest still existing legacy of the genial works of hydraulic engineering that allowed to
have a means of inner water transport in Milan. It connected the Naviglio Martesana with other
Navigli ( canals ) and it is also known as “ Conca of Leonardo” because it was made in the period in
which Leonardo became the duke’s engineer.

11. PINACOTECA DI BRERA
The building had been built on the old "braida" soil (or "breda", word that in Latin had the meaning
of suburban field ), after which both the palace and the district took the name "Brera".
The Pinacoteca of Brera is a national gallery of ancient and modern art , located in the palace of
Brera. The wide palace also hosts other institutions: the National library braidense, the observatory
of Brera, the botanical garden, the institute of sciences and letters of Lombardy and the Academy of
Arts. The Pinacoteca of Brera was officially established in 1809, but already in 1776 it included a
collection, more works were included later and the collection was extended with didactic purposes.
It became an exemplary collection of works built with the aim to train students. When Milan became
the capital of the Italic Kingdom under Napoleon, the collection was transformed into a museum to
show the paintings following the Emperor’s will.
The Palace
It was built on an ancient 14th
-century monastery. The Jesuits established a school. The current
structure of the building dates back to the 17th
century and is the result of Francesca Maria Richini’s
work.
In 1773, after the dissolution of the Jesuits, the College of Brera became property of the state and of
Empress Maria Theresa from Austria, hosting some of the most advanced cultural institutions of the
town.
During the 18th century, many balconies, courtyards, lobbies and corridors were adjusted as the seat
of monuments that were supposed to celebrate artists as well as men of culture and science such as
Cesare Beccaria and Giuseppe Parini; their monuments can be admired on the stairs leading to the
gallery. The museum displays one of the most famous painting collections in Italy, specialized in
Venetian and Lombard painting.

12. ORTO BOTANICO
In the botanical garden of the ‘Pinacoteca di Brera’ there are several varieties of plants, which come
from all around Europe and even from China.
Each one of these wonderful flowers, trees and herbs have a link even between the paintings in the
Pinacoteca, works of famous artists in their times, such as Bellini. In fact, in their paintings, the man is
in a perfect union with the surrounding natural environment, a theme, which comes from a purely
renaissance thought, so, plants like olives, pear and orange trees, or roses, laurels, pines are planted
in the garden, as to pay homage to those artists.
The garden is a place that everyone can visit, children and grown-ups, even people with disabilities,
such as blind people: in fact, all around the garden, several infrared sensors are placed near
particular plants, for example cotton, so thanks to a cane, which senses those sensors, playing an
audio file from a smartphone, everyone is able to understand where he or she is standing and touch
all the plants.
MONUMENTO A LEONARDO
The statue of Leonardo is located in the square opposite the Scala opera house.
The monument is dedicated to the scientist and his four disciples: Marco d’Oggiono, Andrea Salaino,
Cesare da Sesto and Giovan Antonio Boltraffio. The monument was inaugurated in 1872.
The statue is made of white Carrara marble with a basement of granite.