Milano has many wonderful palazzi, very often created around courtyards of rare beauty. And it is indeed through one of the most beautiful Milanese courtyards that we enter the Poldi Pezzoli house museum centrally located in via Manzoni, in close proximity to the Teatro alla Scala.

Established in 1881, the museum was created by the gifted nobleman Gian Giacomo Pezzoli, a most refined nineteenth-century art collector. The artefacts are splendid, as is the palazzo itself, comprising the sweeping baroque staircase and countless elegant rooms that evoke past eras: from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, up to the dramatic Armory, uniquely recreated by the famous contemporary artist Arnaldo Pomodoro.

A palazzo of wonders displaying over 5000 artworks, sculptures, weapons and armour, rugs, jewellery, lace and embroidery, porcelain, glass, furniture, solar and mechanical watches, all suspended in a uniquely magical environment.

The museum’s collection is unequivocally considered as one of the most prestigious in Europe. It comprises masterpieces by Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Bellini, Mantegna, Canaletto, Tiepolo and, above all, that most iconic portrait adopted as the symbol of the museum: Piero del Pollaiolo’s Portrait of a Lady (1470). The portrait is the epitome of grace and elegance, displaying an impressive eye for detail and a truly enchanting profile.

Be sure to visit the Armoury, where dozens of suits of armour and military parade weapons on display create an evocative atmosphere steeped in history.