This was the first public musuem of Milan, opened in 1618. Bishop Borromeo wanted it to give a free education to those who demonstrated a peculiar intelligence. He donated his entire collection to the art gallery enriched in the following centuries, making it a great addition to the illustrious Biblioteca Ambrosiana (library).
Among the masterpieces preserved here some are worth noting: the Cartone della Scuola di Atene (Sketch of The School of Athens) by Raphael, the Madonna and Child with Three Angels by Botticelli, the Fruit Basket by Caravaggio, the Musician by Leonardo da Vinci, the Madonna delle Torri by Bramantino, the Adoration of the Magi by Tiziano and hand-written papers from the Codex Antlanticus by Leonardo da Vinci.