Museo Poldi Pezzoli

About the museum

The Museo Poldi Pezzoli was born in the house of the Milanese nobleman Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822–1879), a passionate collector, and was inaugurated in 1881, two years after his death. The palace dates from the 17th century and was bought at the end of the 18th century by the Pezzoli family. The architect Simone Cantoni adapted it in the Neoclassical style with a large English garden, and between 1850 and 1853 Giuseppe Balzaretto modified it further.

Poldi Pezzoli began by collecting ancient weapons between 1846 and 1850, and from 1850 he bought Renaissance paintings from Lombardy, the Veneto and Tuscany, frequenting the leading European art critics. He entrusted the furnishing of his apartment to the decorators Giuseppe Bertini and Luigi Scrosati, who created a sequence of rooms inspired by different styles of the past, from the Baroque to the early Renaissance, in line with the fashionable eclecticism. These include the Sala Nera, the Sala d’Armi and the Studiolo Dantesco.

The museum, opened to the public in 1881, was first directed by Giuseppe Bertini and then by the architect Camillo Boito, who reorganised the rooms according to more modern museographic criteria. The air raids of 1943 destroyed much of the historic rooms, including the Sala d’Armi, the bedroom and the Salone Dorato. Among the survivors was the Studiolo Dantesco, the only surviving example of the painted decoration of the house. Today the museum is run by the Fondazione Museo Poldi Pezzoli ETS.

Highlights

• Portrait of a Young Woman by Piero del Pollaiolo
• Madonna and Child by Sandro Botticelli
• Saint Nicholas of Tolentino by Piero della Francesca
• Madonna and Child with Saints by Lorenzo Lotto
• Studiolo Dantesco, original 19th-century decoration
• Collections of weapons, clocks, porcelain, glass and carpets

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione permanente e sale storiche – Paintings of the Renaissance of Lombardy, the Veneto and Tuscany, weapons and armour, clocks, porcelain, glass and carpets, displayed in the rooms of the 19th-century house museum, including the Studiolo Dantesco.

Founded

1881

Operated by

Fondazione Museo Poldi Pezzoli ETS

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for students and teachers of the Accademia di Brera and of art schools, tourist guides, ICOM members, journalists and members of the Associazione Amici del Museo Poldi Pezzoli (family card for up to four people).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance is accessible via a ramp. The ground floor and the first floor are accessible; there is a lift (door 75 cm wide) to the left of the entrance and a service wheelchair. The ground-floor toilets comply with the standards. Blue-line parking in Via Monte di Pietà, including for people with disabilities. Dedicated projects: the route “Oltre lo sguardo” for visitors with visual impairments and “Poldi PezzoLIS” for the deaf community, developed with the Ente Nazionale Sordi. The museum organises visits tailored to specific needs (contact: Stefania Rossi).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

The museum organises activities for families (Spazio famiglia) and a children’s audio guide narrated by Poldo, the little ghost who has accompanied young visitors since 2005. A changing table is at the entrance to the toilet area. Free admission up to age 10 if accompanied by parents.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Spaces available on concession: Orangerie, Armeria, Salone dell’Affresco, Salone Dorato, Terrazza Pollaiolo and Sala del Collezionista, for private guided visits, aperitifs, gala evenings, conferences and concerts, including outside opening hours.

Plan your visit