[Milan] The hidden museum created by an aristocrat was amazing!

*Previous Milan article

Since my time in Milan is limited,

I can only visit one museum.

After much deliberation, I chose,

not the Pinacoteca di Brera, which represents Milan.

It is also not the

Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, which houses paintings by Caravaggio.

It is the Poldi Pezzoli Museum.

It is a house museum within walking distance of the Duomo,

originally the mansion of a Milanese aristocrat.

Moreover, the collection on display

seems to be centered on items the aristocrat collected himself while traveling.

For someone who loves to travel like me,

it is a truly fascinating museum.

I am also interested in seeing an aristocrat's mansion (lol).

Poldi Pezzoli Museum

First, entering the museum.

It is one of the main streets in Milan,

Via Manzoni, but

because it is tucked away,

it is very quiet.

It is a hidden gem and can be called a hideaway museum.

Since the building itself is valuable,

the admission fee is €15 (about 2,400 yen),

which is a bit pricey.

It is €10 with a student discount, but

since it is specified for students 26 and under,

unfortunately, I am not eligible (lol).

After buying the ticket,

I put my backpack in a locker

and headed to the first exhibition room.

The sense of grandeur is incredible!

Since it is called a mansion,

I thought that paintings would be

displayed here and there in the house, but...

I was totally wrong (lol).

As expected of an aristocratic mansion,

the scale is on another level!

Can you feel like Cinderella just by standing on the stairs?!

Is it really okay to walk up

this gorgeous red carpet staircase in my shoes??

I looked for slippers, but couldn't find any. (lol)

There are many rooms, too,

over 20, each with its own theme!

While they are mostly small in size,

there are so many exhibits that you can really enjoy it.

When you enter this room, you are surrounded by angels,

and you can't help but let out a

"Wow!" from the bottom of your heart.

The ceiling also has a cute color scheme and design.

I took photos thinking I'd like to make my own room have this kind of color scheme,

but the colors look different in photos

than they do in person.

There are few visitors, so

you can take your time looking at each piece.

It's also amazing that the painting

《Portrait of Martin Luther and his wife》

by the master Lucas Cranach is just casually displayed there.

Speaking of Luther,

he is famous for the Reformation,

but this is my first time seeing his portrait in person.

By the way, the small painting below the portrait of the Luther couple

is also by Cranach.

"Saint John the Baptist, the Virgin and Child with Two Angels"

In Japan, if you were to view it this closely,

you would be warned, but how generous they are here.

"Come closer and take a good look!"

It feels as if it is speaking to me.

The figure reflected in the back of the mirror is a skull!

A unique work,

"Memento Mori" by Andrea Previtali.

And, my main goal!

The most famous piece in this museum,

Piero del Pollaiuolo's

"Portrait of a Lady"

is unfortunately currently under restoration.

It is a portrait of a beautiful woman (or perhaps a lady?) that is almost always included in art textbooks and art books.

It is a pity that I could not see it up close, but

I was able to get a sense of the atmosphere.

Next, the stained glass room.

The atmosphere changes completely from the Angel Room.

It is not a huge building like a castle, but

it is so well-stocked that

you would not think you were in the same building.

Just walking around takes quite a bit of energy...

There are also works by Botticelli,

a representative painter of the Renaissance period.

Botticelli's "Madonna of the Book (Madonna and Child)"

In Japan, it would be almost impossible to have this kind of distance and have it all to yourself,

but

it is nice to be able to view it without hesitation.

The Black Roomhas a completely different impression.

It feels like a room for religious art,

and a solemn atmosphere drifts through it.

The Clock Roomis truly an aristocratic collection.

In this room, which shines with gold,

clocks decorated with gold are on display.

It's not practical, so I wouldn't want one.

However, the financial power to collect luxury items

is astonishing.

I would probably buy something else, though (laughs).

Besides that, one of the three great Renaissance painters,

an early work by Raphael,

"Processional Cross"

and more, you can encounter works even more wonderful than you'd imagine.

Compared to famous museums,

it's minimal, but it has many exhibits and is a very satisfying museum.

The quiet, hidden-gem atmosphere is also something

I liked.

On a sightseeing tour,

you would likely never come

to this museum.

For my second time in Milan,

I'm visiting spots that tours don't go to.

Moreover, I want to find hidden gems.

That is this trip's Yoko-style aimless journey.

Still,

it goes to show that Italian aristocrats

lived lives beyond our imagination.

I'm envious, but it sounds suffocating.

Even if I were reborn,

I'd choose my current life again,

where I can eat plenty of yakiniku (lol).

It was so fun that I ended up staying too long.

I don't have much time left!

I must head to the next place...

To be continued next time.

[Yoko JAPAN Official Website]