Raccolte delle Arti Applicate e della Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Achille Bertarelli

Castello Sforzesco brings together two collections devoted to the material and graphic culture of Milan: the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Achille Bertarelli Prints Collection. Their holdings range from ceramics, ivories and glass to tapestries, prints and images of the city.

Why it matters

The Museum of Decorative Arts preserves objects that show how Italian craftsmanship and applied design developed across the centuries. Its holdings include the Trivulzio tapestries, made to designs by Bramantino in the early sixteenth century. The Achille Bertarelli collection complements these objects with a vast graphic record, including views, popular prints, fashion plates, fans and other images of everyday life.

What to notice

The twelve Trivulzio tapestries in the Sala della Balla form a major decorative ensemble based on designs by Bramantino. The decorative arts collection also includes Italian ceramics, medieval ivories and goldwork, Renaissance bronzes, and Murano and Bohemian glass. The Bertarelli collection spans artistic prints from the fifteenth century to contemporary graphics; its holdings include maps and views, popular imagery, ex-libris, fashion plates, fans, postcards and early printed books.

Context and history

The City of Milan acquired the Sforza fortress in the 1890s and restored it as a civic centre for the arts. Achille Bertarelli donated an initial collection of about 300,000 prints in 1925; it has since grown to over a million works, including about 15,000 artistic prints. The Museum of Decorative Arts developed through donations and acquisitions and is now part of the municipal museum complex at Castello Sforzesco.