Gallerie d’Italia is an art museum in the heart of Milan, on Piazza della Scala opposite the opera house. Opened in 2011 by Intesa Sanpaolo, it occupies a group of historic palazzi and former banking premises, where grand interiors are as much a part of the visit as the art. The collections bring together works owned by the bank and Fondazione Cariplo.
The galleries trace Italian art from the late eighteenth century into the twentieth, with a particularly rich selection of nineteenth-century Lombard painting. Romantic landscapes and historical scenes evoke the era of the Risorgimento, while plaster reliefs by Antonio Canova offer a glimpse of the Neoclassical sculptor’s working process. Modern Italian art and changing exhibitions broaden the story, and the former bank spaces add an unexpected layer to the experience.
Allow around two hours for the collection, and check the exhibition programme before visiting. The museum is about a five-minute walk from Duomo metro station through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is usually closed on Mondays; check the official website for current hours and ticket prices, and consider booking ahead for popular temporary shows.