Italian Minister Bonisoli Merges Leonardo's Last Supper with Brera, Approves Palazzo Citterio

Italian Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli has approved modifications to the restoration and setup of Palazzo Citterio, future home of Brera Modern, and merged Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper with the Pinacoteca di Brera. The decision, made in August 2019 amid a government crisis, overrides objections from Superintendent Antonella Ranaldi and follows demands from Brera director James Bradburne, who threatened resignation. Bradburne requested a new entrance at Via Brera 16, a glass staircase, and improved climate control; completion is expected by summer 2020. The merger places the Last Supper under Brera's management, removing it from the Regional Museum Pole of Lombardy. In 2018, Brera recorded 386,968 visitors and net revenue of €1,903,943.70, while the Last Supper had 425,751 visitors and €3,150,810 net revenue. The move is part of Bonisoli's broader reform, approved on August 7 and effective from August 22, which reorganizes museum autonomy, creates a new directorate for contracts, and replaces regional museum poles with 10 territorial directorates. Critics include Lombardy's culture assessor Stefano Bruno Galli, who advocates regionalization. Art historian Stefano Zuffi supports the merger, calling it a natural development. The 'Grande Brera' project now encompasses both sites, aiming to become a national colossus.