Art Gallery Pinacoteca di Brera Milan

In short: the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan shows northern Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, including Hayez’s “The Kiss”. Plan at least 2 hours. Tickets cost 15 euros and the museum is closed on Mondays.

The Kiss, Il Bacio by Francesco Hayez is my favourite painting at the Art Gallery Pinacoteca di Brera Milan. It was painted in 1859 by the Italian artist and is probably his best-known work. Being influenced by the era of Italian independence, anti-Austrian alliances and bloody repression of the nationalist movement in the mid-1850s, Il Bacio by Hayez is so much more. The two people are not recognizable, but the back, the kiss, is front and centre of the picture. Let’s add in the various details such as her leaning backwards, him bending his leg to support her, the mystery of the shadow creeping towards them. It’s a scene of a romance that might be caught any second. The kiss scene implies something forbidden, while the moment of the passionate kiss, the connection between the two people, is fully savoured. Enjoying life, every possible second. The latter is something everyone should live by, enjoying every possible second of life. That’s also the reason I have this picture as the screensaver on my phone since I was finally able to view this picture with my own eyes.

a visit to Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan

Il Bacio by Francesco Hayez was once commissioned by Alfonso Maria Visconti di Saliceto, who donated it to the Pinacoteca di Brera after his death. However, this is just one painting of a hundred that is on display at the renowned Pinacoteca di Brera Milan which is undoubtedly one of the most important art museums in Italy. The collection is focused on paintings from the northern regions of Italy during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Most art pieces are religious and show Jesus in many stages of his life. The exhibition is located in the baroque Palazzo di Brera, in one of the older areas of Milan. Other highlights of the exhibition are The Last Supper by Peter Paul Rubens, The Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael, The Death of Cleopatra by Guido Cagnacci, St. Jerome in Wilderness by Titian or Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio. You might be also interested in my Restaurant Reviews for Milan.

It’s recommended to plan at least 2 hours for a visit to Pinacoteca di Brera, plus at least another 30 to 60 minutes to fully explore Palazzo di Brera including the Orto Botacnico botanical garden.

Pinacoteca di Brera / Palazzo di Brera: address, opening hours and tickets
Address: Via Brera 28, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
nearest Metro Stops: Lanza (M2), Turati (3)
Website: pinacotecabrera.org
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:30 am – 6:30 pm (last entrance at 5:30 pm), closed on Mondays
Ticket prices: 15 €, reduced 10 €, free for under 18 y, EU citizens aged from 18 to 25: 2 €

More Milan tips

Combine your visit with more museums in Milan, the Last Supper and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. More guides are in the Lombardy category.

FAQ about the Pinacoteca di Brera