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Brera Art Gallery in Milan

3rd November 2006

Milan is well known for its status as one of the world capitals of fashion, but its cultural heritage is no less impressive, with the Brera Art Gallery exemplifying why this is the case.

Set in an ancient courtyard that is also home to an astronomical observatory and a library set up by Jesuits in the 16th century, the gallery is not short on architectural achievements. But it is inside the building that the real masterworks lie.

Home to one of the world's finest collections of Renaissance art, the gallery is something of a tribute to Napoleon's dubious strategies of cultural appropriation.

When the Emperor was at the height of his powers in the late 18th century, with much of Europe under his command, he chose Milan as one of the central bases of his empire – which involved having his armies sack the rest of Italy and bring valuable artefacts to the city and the Brera itself.

This ill-begotten collection soon flourished by more conventional means, with collectors and those seeking favour from the Emperor contributing some of the finest paintings around, including works from Caravaggio and Carpaccio.

Those works are still on display today, complimented by a catalogue of other Italian Renaissance pieces that include Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Veronese's Supper in the House of Simon.

But the exhibits are not just confined to Italian artworks. With works from Rubens, El Greco and Rembrandt also included in the collection, visitors are sure to be amazed by the range and breadth of the gallery's collection, the Brera gallery being one aspect of Napoleon's legacy that history will not judge too harshly.

© Adfero Ltd

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