In the occasion of the 1st edition of the Milan Portofino, on 04/28/2023, the participants in the event - some from abroad - were able to visit the Poldi Pezzoli Museum exclusively behind closed doors. This museum is a place of wonders, located in the heart of historic and luxury Milan. For many it was a pleasant surprise, for others a rediscovery.
Count Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822-1879) bequeathed his home, and the very rich collections it houses, to the artistic foundation of the same name.
The museum is today directed by the architect Alessandra Quarto, a person with vast experience in the museum sector.
From room to room, you can admire masterpieces from every era: sacred and profane paintings, sculptures, the most varied artifacts, from goldsmiths to ceramics, fabrics, ancient instruments, all of the highest quality and rarity.
These works are not placed in a cold museum environment, but in the rooms of a house, which has been lived in and loved, which still bears the imprint of the personality and taste of its illustrious inhabitant.

What is a museum if it does not inspire and arouse emotions?
The Poldi Pezzoli gives the visitor full intellectual and emotional satisfaction.
The most disenchanted observer finds the way to dream in front of the large "Hunting carpet" a very rare Persian specimen of the 16th century, in which hundreds of oriental figures intertwine with Islamic arabesques, animals and flowers.
Scenes from One Thousand and One Nights, made of the finest silk!
Count Poldi Pezzoli's passion for ancient weapons is revealed in the Armory Room, where armor, armour, and swords of rare workmanship are conserved in a suggestive setting by Arnaldo Pomodoro, particularly of the Milanese.
Living presences are the admirable portraits, including the masterpiece of introspection by Vittore Ghislandi, the "Knight with the tricorn hat" with a sensual and shrewd gaze, which dialogues with the pure profile of the enchanting "Young woman" by Pollaiolo, the museum's logo.

Among the sacred works, to give just one example, the "Madonna with Child" by Andrea Mantegna, leaves an unforgettable trace of tenderness in the mind.
The immersive experience fully satisfied the visitors; everyone has brought with them the memory of a place to return to, to deepen or just to review so much variety of works of art.