The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana closes the year with exceptional results, strengthening its position as a leader in the cultural panorama. With a total of 300 thousand visitors, a 20% increase compared to 2023, the museum has recorded its second positive balance in its long history, marking an important milestone for one of the most historic and prestigious artistic institutions in Milan.
“Attracting an audience of all ages and looking for unique experiences is the key to our success,” he says. Antonello Grimaldi, Secretary General of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana since March 2022. “The virtuous path of the Ambrosiana was possible thanks to the synergy between the custodians of cultural heritage – the College of Doctors of the Milanese institution and the Congregation of Conservatories – and the excellent work of my collaborators. Museums must not only be custodians of art and history (preserve), but also places of continuous innovation, research and inclusion (enhance). This is the vision that guides my managerial management of a place of culture with more than 400 years of history”.
2024 was a particularly rich year of initiatives for the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, which recorded an increase in the number of visitors and increased its visibility. Among the most important events, we remember the first retrospective “Nice to see you” by Gaetano Pesce, the exhibition “Detour” by Moleskine during the Design Week and the project focused on the “Treatise on Crimes and Punishments” by Cesare Beccaria.
In addition, extraordinary events were organized, such as special openings with 3 euro admission, classical music concerts in the Sala Federiciana, inclusive itineraries for the visually impaired and participation in Bookcity, which made the museum more accessible and enhanced its appeal.
During the Christmas holidays, the offer was enriched by concerts, guided tours conducted by the Doctors of the Ambrosiana and the widespread exhibition “The Path of the Kings”, which includes masterpieces such as the “Adoration of the Magi” by Andrea Schiavone, Titian, the Master of the Holy Blood and Morazzone. The itinerary continues in the crypt of San Sepolcro, in the church of San Sepolcro and in the atrium of the Pinacoteca with the exhibition of 9 nativity scenes from the Dalmine Nativity Scene Museum.
A symbolic event was the return of Andrea Schiavone's “Adoration of the Magi”, restored by the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre, a masterpiece that has regained its brilliance in its historic location in Piazza Pio XI.
On the communications front, the Pinacoteca has embraced new media, with the introduction of The Podcast, a channel that offers insights into the museum's masterpieces and activities, bringing the public even closer to culture.
For the future, the economic and management successes of 2023 and 2024 lay solid foundations to face the important events of the coming years, such as the Jubilee and the Olympics. Grimaldi stressed the importance of seeking strategic sponsors to strengthen the role of the Pinacoteca as an international protagonist of culture.
2025 looks equally promising, with two exhibitions by internationally renowned artists, Sidival Fila and Nicola Samorì, offering a dialogue between contemporary art and the museum’s historical collection.
