Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli's house

The birth and evolution of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum

The apartment of Gian Giacomo was created after 1846 in a part of the family palace situated in the corsia del Giardino, whose English-style gardens provided the inspiration for the name of the street (now via Manzoni). 

Giuseppe Balzaretto (1873) by Giuseppe BertiniMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The origin

Following the dictates of historicism, then-avant-garde style, each room of the suite was decorated by the interior designers Giuseppe Bertini (1825-1891) and Luigi Scrosati (1814-1869) to evoke a different style of the past, echoing the historical period of the objects on display.

Unfortunately, in 1943, during the Second World War, a bomb destroyed most of the decoration of the rooms. The original setting is shown in the photographs you can fi nd in each room.

Il Museo Poldi Pezzoli agli inizi della sua storia in un’incisione di Antonio Bonamore (1881) by Antonio BonamoreMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The Arms Room

The Gothic-style Arms Room created by the scenographer of La Scala theatre, Filippo Peroni, was totally destroyed.

Armeria (2000) by Arnaldo PomodoroMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The Arms Room today

It was restyled on the groundfloor by the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro (2000). 

Since its reopening after the Second World War, the museum has been enlarged with new rooms to accommodate the numerous works added - whether by acquisition, or donation – after the death of the collector. Today, the visit of the Poldi Pezzoli historical rooms begins with the Neo-Baroque staircase decorated with a fountain by Bertini and 17th century sculptures, and passes upstairs to the Stucco Room’ in Rococò style’ divided from the Golden Room by a display case full of porcelain.

Salone dorato (1890/1900) by AndersonMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The Golden Room

In the Golden Room are gathered masterpieces of Renaissance painting.

Salone Dorato (2022)Museo Poldi Pezzoli

The Golden Room today

Sala Nera (1872) by Emilio CavenaghiMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The Black Room

The adjoining Black Room ‘in the Northern Renaissance style,’ once acted as a drawing room, and was decorated with ivory and wood intarsia and semi-precious stone objects. 

Sala Nera (2022) by Andrea Livio VolpatoMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The Black Room today

Camera da letto di Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1880/1886) by Luigi BisiMuseo Poldi Pezzoli

The artistic journey continues...

The visit continues with the Antique Murano Glass Room formerly the Bedroom, which offers carved wood furniture, and from which one enters the Dante Study, created ‘in the Italian 14th century style’. 

These historical and predominantly reception rooms are flanked by four rooms dedicated exclusively to the display of paintings. The apartment lacks a dining room, while the service areas (kitchen and romos for the servants) were on the ground floor.

Ala Franzini (2022)Museo Poldi Pezzoli

The Franzini wing

Finally, in 2017 the expansion of the exhibition spaces to an area of ​​200 square meters allowed the setting up of new rooms for the public to enjoy a greater number of works, including three new collections of decorative arts recently received as a donation.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Google apps