When people think of Italian art, they usually picture the grandeur of Rome or the Renaissance magic of Florence. Milan? It’s often left out of the conversation, and unfairly so I think.
This fashion forward powerhouse also happens to be an art lover’s dream. The city is packed with underrated gems, blockbuster masterpieces, and even a few surprises tucked behind palace doors.
If you’re into Caravaggio, da Vinci, or just want to see what modern Italian art looks like outside a tote bag, Milan delivers.
In this guide, I’ll tell you all about the best art museums in Milan and their must see masterpieces.
Tips & City Cards
Most museums in Milan are closed on Mondays. You can buy individual tickets (links below by museum) or use the city cards for entry.
If you have the Milan City Card, it covers:
- ✅ Includes skip-the-line tickets for the Duomo and rooftop terrace
- ✅ Covers access to the Museo del Novecento and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
- ❌ Does not include the Pinacoteca di Brera, GAM, Poldi Pezzoli, Fondazione Prada, or the Duomo Museum
The Museo Civici Card is better for a deep museum dive. It includes
- ✅ All Civic Museums, namely:
- Duomo Museum
- Museo del Novecento
- Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM)
- Museo Poldi Pezzoli
- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Civic museums at Castello Sforzesco
1. Pinacoteca di Brera
- Best for: Italian Renaissance and Baroque art
- Highlights: Works by Caravaggio (Supper at Emmaus), Mantegna (Dead Christ), Raphael, Bellini, and Piero della Francesca
- Why go: It’s Milan’s premier fine art museum and housed in a former monastery with a beautiful cloister.
The Pinacoteca di Brera is Milan’s premier art museum and an essential stop for anyone with an eye for Italian painting.
Housed in the elegant 17th century Palazzo Brera, the museum offers a thoroughly satisfying journey through centuries of Italian art.
Often overlooked in favor of more famous institutions, the Brera is one of the best museums in Italy that many travelers miss. Its collection spans the 14th to 20th centuries, with a particular strength in religious and Renaissance art.
Among its treasures are works by some of the greatest names in Italian art: Raphael, Titian, Bellini, Caravaggio, and Guercino.
Masterpieces like Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus, Mantegna’s haunting Lamentation of Christ, Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin, Hayez’s romantic The Kiss, and Guercino’s Dead Christ make this museum a true showcase of Italian genius.
But the Brera doesn’t stop at the Renaissance. Its modern art collection is equally impressive, with pieces by Picasso, Modigliani, Braque, Morandi, and de Chirico.
And be sure to check out the massive Mars the Peacemaker statue by Antonio Canova that dominates the museum’s courtyard. It’s one of Canova’s best sculptures.
Here’s my complete guide to the Brera Museum. You can book a combined guided tour of the Brera neighborhood and the Brera Museum.
2. Museo del Novecento
- Best for: 20th century Italian art
- Highlights: Futurism (Boccioni, Carrà), Morandi, De Chirico, Fontana
- Why go: Offers a stunning view of the Duomo from inside and a clear narrative of Italian modernism.
The Museo del Novecento offers a sharp turn into the 20th century. Housed in the Palazzo dell’Arengario, this sleek museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art, with a strong emphasis on Italian movements.
Its collection reads like a roll call of 20th century innovators, especially from the Futurist, Spatialist, and Arte Povera movements.
You’ll find works by Boccioni, Fontana, and Manzoni alongside international names, though the focus remains proudly Italian.
Highlights include Giorgio de Chirico’s enigmatic Philosopher’s Troubles, Arturo Martini’s Thirst, and Pellizza da Volpedo’s massive social realist canvas The Fourth Estate.
While it might not dazzle like Italy’s Renaissance treasures, the Museo del Novecento delivers a thoughtful and often provocative look at the country’s modern artistic identity.
It’s especially rewarding if you’re in Milan for more than a day. Or just need a palate cleanser from all the madonnas.
Bonus: the top-floor cafe serves up an unbeatable view of the Duomo’s spires, with your espresso.
3. Fondazione Prada
- Best for: Contemporary art and experimental installations
- Highlights: Changing exhibitions, multimedia works, and the gold-clad tower designed by Rem Koolhaas
- Why go: A must for contemporary art lovers looking for cutting edge work in an architecturally striking space.
Opened in 2018, Fondazione Prada is Milan’s ultimate destination for contemporary art and avant garde cool.
Spread across nine floors—including a tower clad in 24 karat gold leaf—it’s an audacious blend of architecture, fashion, and cutting edge creativity. Housed in a converted gin distillery on the city’s industrial outskirts, the space is sleek, surreal, and refreshingly unpredictable.
Owned by the iconic fashion house Prada, the foundation isn’t just about flash. It was designed to offer diverse, flexible exhibition spaces for exploring the intersections of art, architecture, and culture.
The gallery doesn’t follow a traditional museum model. Instead, it embraces change, reinvention, and experimentation.
Inside, you’ll find ambitious installations by some of the most prominent names in contemporary art. In the gold-plated “Haunted House,” permanent works by Louise Bourgeois offer a dark psychological edge.
In the tower’s gleaming white rooms, massive sculptures and conceptual works by artists like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Carsten Höller, and John Baldessari confront themes of spectacle, excess, and mortality.
Even the details are curated for effect. The onsite Bar Luce wa designed by Wes Anderson. It’s a retro dreamscape of pastel Formica and pinball machines, evoking the vibe of a 1950s Milanese cafe with cinematic flair.
>>> Click here to book a ticket to the Prada museum and the Duomo
4. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
- Best for: Old Masters and rare manuscripts
- Highlights: Works by Leonardo, Botticelli, Titian, and Raphael’s Cartoon for the School of Athens
- Why go: Also home to the Ambrosian Library and fascinating curiosities, including a lock of Lucrezia Borgia’s hair.
The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is one of Milan’s hidden gems. It’s a peaceful retreat filled with Renaissance treasures and home to some of Leonardo da Vinci’s rarest works.
Set within a historic library founded in 1609, this intimate museum combines old world elegance with serious art historical clout.
Its standout feature is the Codex Atlanticus, a sprawling 12 volume compilation of Leonardo’s sketches and writings created between 1478 and 1519.
You can view rotating selections of this remarkable archive in the Reading Room, alongside other fascinating pieces by the master.
The Ambrosiana also boasts an impressive lineup of paintings, including Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit, Leonardo’s Portrait of a Musician, Titian’s Adoration of the Magi, and Botticelli’s Madonna del Padiglione.
It’s a compact but potent collection, free from the usual tourist crush.
Another highlight is Raphael’s monumental cartoon for The School of Athens. It’s the full scale preparatory drawing for his Vatican masterpiece. Seeing it up close reveals the technical brilliance behind one of the most iconic frescoes of the Renaissance.
>>> Click here to book a ticket to the Ambrosiana
5. Museo Poldi Pezzoli
- Best for: Decorative arts and private collections. House-museum par excellence.
- Highlights: Botticelli’s Madonna of the Book, Bellini, Mantegna, clocks, armor, textiles
- Why go: Intimate and elegant, this museum offers a glimpse into 19th century Milanese collecting tastes.
Tucked behind a red stucco façade in central Milan, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum is a gem for art lovers who prefer their masterpieces without the crowds.
Just a stone’s throw from the luxury boutiques of Via Montenapoleone, this elegant 17th century mansion was once the private home of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli.
Upon his death in 1879, he bequeathed both the house and his impressive collection to the city, with the stipulation it become a museum.
The result is a refined, intimate space filled with treasures: paintings, sculptures, antique furnishings, textiles, ceramics, arms, and armor.
The museum’s artistic highlights include works by Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Bellini, Mantegna, and Tiepolo.
The showstopper is Portrait of a Woman by Pollaiolo, a delicate and haunting image that’s become an icon of the museum and of Milan itself.
The Golden Room, gleaming with Tuscan and Venetian Renaissance works, offers a rich and atmospheric viewing experience. It’s a peaceful place to get a close look at masterpieces that might be mobbed elsewhere.
6. Triennale Milan
- Best for: Design, architecture, and applied arts
- Highlights: Rotating exhibitions, Italian design icons, and works by leading 20th century architects
- Why go: Great for design aficionados and located in Parco Sempione near Castello Sforzesco.
Nowhere in Italy is design as deeply woven into the city’s identity as it is in Milan. It’s only fitting, then, that one of the country’s first and most important design museums is located inside the Palazzo dell’Arte, just steps from the Duomo and the Royal Palace.
The Triennale di Milano celebrates the evolution of Italian design and the visionary minds who helped shape its global reputation.
Although the core collection is permanent, it’s reimagined each year around a new curatorial theme. So even if you’ve visited before, you’re likely to find a fresh, thought provoking experience waiting the next time you return.
7. Castello Sforzesco Museums
- Best for: A mix of painting, sculpture, and history in a historic setting
- Highlights: Michelangelo’s unfinished Rondanini Pietà, Egyptian artifacts, and applied arts
- Why go: Explore multiple museums in one castle: art, music, history, and more.
Castello Sforzesco is one of Milan’s most iconic landmarks and an essential stop for history and art lovers. Built by Francesco Sforza in the 15th century, this imposing Renaissance fortress once served as the seat of the powerful Dukes of Milan.
Today, the vast complex houses a series of excellent museums, including the Pinacoteca (Art Gallery), the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Archaeological Museum, and the Pietà Rondanini Museum.
The standout masterpiece is Michelangelo’s haunting Rondanini Pietà, his final and unfinished sculpture. It was discovered in his workshop after his death at age 89.
It depicts a frail, almost weightless Christ, evoking grief and spiritual transcendence more than anatomical precision. Though Michelangelo never worked in Milan, the city acquired the sculpture in 1951.
The castle is also one of Milan’s key Leonardo da Vinci sites. In the Sala delle Asse, Leonardo painted a fantastical ceiling fresco in 1498. It’s designed as an illusionistic arbor of 16 mulberry trees entwined with golden cords.
Commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, the fresco was long hidden under layers of whitewash, and only rediscovered in the late 19th century. After a series of restorations, it’s now partially visible again, though still in fragile condition.
Visitors can also watch a multi-media presentation about Leonardo’s time in Milan, his work for the Sforza court, and his fresco The Last Supper.
Entrance to the castle grounds is free, but there’s a small fee for the museum complex. You can also book a guided tour of the battlements, towers, and dungeons for a deeper dive into Milan’s ducal past.
Click here to book a skip the line ticket. You can also book a tour of Castle Sforza and the Pieta for the full scoop.
8. Duomo Museum
- Best for: History and architecture buffs interested in the Milan Cathedral
- Highlights: Original sculptures, stained glass, 16th century wooden model of the Duomo
- Why go: It gives essential context before visiting the cathedral and showcases centuries of craftsmanship behind Milan’s most iconic building.
As with many cathedral complexes in Italy, it’s best to start with the Duomo Museum before heading into the cathedral itself. Housed in the Royal Palace directly across from the Duomo, the museum offers essential context and reveals the soul of Milan’s most iconic landmark.
Renovated in 2013, the Duomo Museum features over 200 pieces tied to the cathedral’s long history: sculptures, architectural models, paintings, and vibrant stained glass panels.
One highlight is a massive wooden model of the Duomo, which gives you a rare behind-the-scenes look at the vision behind the Gothic masterpiece.
The museum’s collection also includes original sculptures that once adorned the cathedral’s exterior, including delicate saints, prophets, and decorative pinnacles that were later replaced by restorations.
Click here to pre-purchase a ticket.
9. The Last Supper
- Best for: Leonardo, duh
- Highlights: Billboard size fresco rivaling the fame of the Mona Lisa.
- Why go: Leonardo masterpiece
Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is one of the most iconic paintings in the world, rivaled only by the Mona Lisa in sheer familiarity.
Set into the back wall of the refectory at Santa Maria delle Grazie, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this mural has become a global pilgrimage point for art lovers and the curious alike.
And it’s huge! Spanning nearly 29 feet, the painting captures the charged moment when Christ announces that one of his disciples will betray him. It’s a masterclass in drama, expression, and composition—every hand gesture and glance crackling with psychological tension.
The Last Supper is just as famous for its fragility as its genius. Leonardo, experimenting with secco fresco instead of traditional wet plaster, unintentionally doomed the mural to early deterioration.
What survives today is the result of centuries of damage, misguided restorations, and meticulous conservation efforts. It’s a painting wrapped in myth, loss, and miraculous survival.
Seeing it in person requires advance planning. Tickets are limited, timed, and must be booked well in advance. But it’s worth the effort. Even in its faded state, The Last Supper remains a powerful and haunting encounter with one of art history’s most ambitious, and tragic, masterpieces.
I’ve put together a full guide with everything you need to know: how to get tickets, what to expect when visiting, and a deeper look at what makes this mural so extraordinary.
Click here for a timed entry ticket and guided tour of The Last Supper. You can also buy a combined ticket for The Last Supper and the Duomo.
10. Galleria D’Arte Moderna di Milano (GAM)
- Best for: Fans of 19th century and early modern art
- Highlights: Canova’s Hebe, Hayez’s Portrait of Matilde Juva Branca, and works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Modigliani
- Why go: It’s a peaceful, elegant museum in a neoclassical villa with a strong mix of Italian and European masters.
Milan’s Galleria d’Arte Moderna—better known as GAM—is a refined retreat for lovers of 19th century art. Housed in the elegant Neo-Classical Villa Belgiojoso, once the home of an aristocratic Milanese count, the setting alone is worth a visit.
The collection focuses on art from 1800 to 1900, with a strong showing of Italian painters and sculptors on the first floor.
Upstairs, the Grassi and Vismara collections broaden the scope to include European heavyweights like Picasso, Modigliani, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Manet.
Among the standouts: The Parnassus by Andrea Appiani, Hebe by Antonio Canova, and Francesco Hayez’s expressive Portrait of the Singer Matilde Juva Branca.
Marino Marini’s dynamic equestrian sculptures bring some real energy into the mix as well.
Less crowded than the bigger name museums, GAM is a peaceful place to linger. And it’s a solid reminder that modern art doesn’t have to mean shock value or neon installations. Sometimes, it’s just good painting in a grand house.
>>> Click here to pre-book a ticket to GAM
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the best museums in Milan. You may like these other guides to Italian art:
- Italy art bucket list
- Most famous Italian artists
- Best museums in Italy
- Masterpieces in Venice
- Masterpieces in Florence
- Caravaggio trail in Rome
- Bernini trail in Rome
- Michelangelo trail in Florence
- Raphael masterpieces
- Leonardo da Vinci masterpieces
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