La Grande Brera. A Community of Arts and Sciences

The exhibition La Grande Brera. A Community of Arts and Sciences, curated by architect and architectural theorist Luca Molinari, is a celebration of the cultural, architectural and social history of one of Milan’s most iconic monumental complexes. This extraordinary event explores Brera’s transformation from a monolithic building to a living, interconnected urban fragment, chronicling a journey spanning more than five centuries.

Set up in the evocative spaces of the second floor of Palazzo Citterio, the exhibition offers a unique narrative of the architectural events and communities that have animated Brera since the 16th century. The exhibition is enhanced by a careful selection of works of art, sculptures, frescoes and historical objects, many of which have been restored for the occasion. Thanks to the collaboration with eight institutions symbolic of Milanese culture, including the Pinacoteca, the Biblioteca Braidense and the Accademia di Belle Arti, this exhibition is a rare example of a dialogue between art, history and innovation.

The installation, designed by architect Francesco Librizzi, is organized into three distinct spaces:

Community Landscape and Memory: A third space that weaves together stories, works and projects, showing how Brera’s material and immaterial culture continues to shape the city’s identity.

Introduction to the Grande Brera: An amazing introductory area that welcomes visitors with an overview of the history of the monumental complex and the institutions that populate it.

Architectural History of Brera and Palazzo Citterio: An immersion in the architectural past of these iconic buildings, from their founding as a monastery of the Humiliati to the transformations of the 16th century and beyond.

Through an innovative approach, the exhibition itinerary invites the public to explore Brera not only as a physical place, but as an idea and vision. Historical environments and works dialogue with immersive installations and multimedia tools that transform the visit into a unique intellectual and sensory experience.