The 50-Year Quest for Milan's Grande Brera Museum

The Grande Brera project in Milan, conceived in the 1970s by director Franco Russoli, aims to expand the Pinacoteca di Brera into adjacent Palazzo Citterio and the former church of Santa Maria di Brera. The museum opened on August 15, 1809, as the Museo Centrale del Regno d'Italia, modeled after the Musée Napoleon (now Louvre). Unlike the Louvre, which expanded to over 20,000 square meters by 1900, Brera's exhibition space remained unchanged since the early 19th century. Russoli's vision included a 'social' museum with a forum-like space for contemporary art and debate, exemplified by the 1976 exhibition 'Processo per il Museo.' The state purchased Palazzo Citterio in 1972, but Russoli died in 1977 at age 54. In 1987, architect James Stirling was commissioned to complete Palazzo Citterio but died in 1992; only his hypogeum halls remain. Current director James Bradburne revived the project, receiving approval from the Soprintendenza on January 5, 2021. The restoration (2015-2018) followed guidelines by architects Alberto Artioli and Annamaria Terafina. The project includes a suspended corridor over the Orto Botanico, first mentioned in Guido Lopez's 1990 book 'Milano in Mano.' Completion is expected in 2026, 50 years after Russoli's 'Processo per il Museo.' The expansion would add about 1,600 square meters, allowing display of works like Jan de Beer's 'Trittico dell'Adorazione dei Magi.'