San Vittore prison in Milan could become a museum district
Concerns regarding the inadequacy of Milan's San Vittore prison have sparked discussions about its potential future. Spanning 50,000 square meters and located within the Spanish Walls, the facility could follow the trend of transforming former prisons into new uses seen globally. Ideas on the table include establishing a museum district connected to the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia "Leonardo da Vinci" (MUST), which currently holds 20,000 artifacts and has the potential for expansion with additional pavilions. Proposed attractions might feature an ATM Transport Pavilion that highlights Milan's historic vehicles and interactive displays reminiscent of San Francisco's Exploratorium. Constructed between 1867 and 1879 by Francesco Lucca, the prison's exterior is protected, though alterations to the interior are permitted. A mixed-use development could finance this cultural initiative, overseen by MUST.
Key facts
- San Vittore prison in Milan is a 50,000-square-meter structure within the Spanish Walls.
- The prison was built between 1867 and 1879 by engineer Francesco Lucca.
- Proposal includes turning San Vittore into a museum district linked to the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia.
- MUST has 20,000 artifacts, 250,000 photos/documents, and a 55,000-volume library.
- Examples of prison conversions: Buenos Aires' Penitenciaría Nacional (park), Van der Valk Hotel Het Arresthuis (hotel), HM Pentridge Prison (commercial/residential), Louviers prison (music school), Reading Gaol (cultural space with Banksy mural).
- In Florence, the Bargello became a museum and the Murate complex now houses housing, shops, and artist studios.
- Proposed pavilions include an ATM Transport Pavilion and an interactive science center modeled on San Francisco's Exploratorium.
- The prison's general layout is protected but interior modifications are allowed.
Entities
Artists
- Banksy
- Oscar Wilde
- Frank Oppenheimer
- Robert Oppenheimer
- Giulio Natta
- Luca Parmitano
- Samantha Cristoforetti
- Enrico Caruso
- Guido Ucelli
- Marco Iezzi
- Zaha Hadid
Institutions
- Artribune
- Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia "Leonardo da Vinci" (MUST)
- Urbanfile
- Deutsches Museum
- National Air and Space Museum
- Riverside Museum
- ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi)
- Exploratorium
- Palace of Fine Arts
- Van der Valk Hotel Het Arresthuis
- Clink78 Hostel
- HM Pentridge Prison
- Bargello
- Murate
- Penitenciaría Nacional
- Reading Gaol
- Scuola di Musica di Louviers
- Collezione Montedison
- Montedison
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- San Vittore
- Spanish Walls
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Roermond
- Netherlands
- London
- United Kingdom
- Coburg
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Louviers
- Normandy
- France
- Reading
- England
- Florence
- Monaco di Baviera
- Bonn
- Baviera
- Schleissheim
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- San Francisco
- Embarcadero
- Palace of Fine Arts
- Lago di Nemi