The Museum of Musical Instruments, in the Castello Sforzesco, conserves approximately 650 pieces and a vast exotic grouping from outside of Europe. The Museum is concerned with the production of musical instruments from 1500 to 1800. The first section is dedicated to cord instruments, even though it includes antique 700s "spinettes" as well. Then there are the bow instruments with the standing viola and the "viole d'amore" (viola of love) (so named for the double number of cords that vibrate pleasantly), guitars, mandarins, prestigious 600s lutes from Cremona. Then there is a vast selection of wind instruments and the last section dedicated to popular music with examples of African and Asian instruments. Throughout the Museum are keyboard instruments that do not yet have a definitive location. Of special interest are the lutes represented by pieces from Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari and small pocket-sized violins called "pochettes", among which an example from the 500s.
One of the finest museums in the continent for its exquisite collection of 19th-century fine art, Museo Poldi Pezzoli has been delighting art connoisseurs since the late 19th Century. Get amazed by the masterpieces of artists like Giovanni Bellini, Guardi and Pollaiolo. Impeccable collections in the form of tapestries, porcelain, jewelry and glassware are also worth a look.
The Pinacoteca di Brera is located in a 1615 building constructed by Francesco Maria Richini. The gallery was founded in 1776, and it holds important works by Italian and foreign masters from 1400 to 1900. Of special note are the paintings by Vincenzo Foppa, Lorenzo Lotto, Paolo Veronese, Tintoretto, Giovanni Bellini, Andrea Mantegna, Tiziano, Correggio, Bramante, Gentile da Fabriano, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio, Rubens, Hayez. This is the permanent home of Sposalizio della Vergine by Raffaello, the Cristo morto by Andrea Mantegna, Madonna and Saints by Piero della Francesca and the Madonna in trono e Santi by Ercole Dè Roberti. There are a bookshop and a cafeteria, and guided tours are available. It is located within the city's notable palace Palazzo di Brera which was constructed by architect, Francesco Maria Ricchino, in a Milanese Baroque style.
The Basilica of Sant'Abbondio began its construction in 1063 and was consecrated in 1095 by Benedictines. A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, it was built on the site of a paleo-Christian church dedicated to the Santissimi Apostoli and since 818 to San Abbondio, the fourth bishop of Como who died in 489. The church underwent numerous transformations and was brought back to its original state by a series of restorations which began at the beginning of the second half of the last century. It is a unique example of Romanesque architecture in Italy because of its direct dependence on models from beyond the Alps. The elegant facade, has five parts with three, central windows and arched frames. There are two bell towers, the left of which is a reconstruction of the tower in 1863, by Serafino Balestra as the original was destroyed in 1555. There are five naves inside and the walls have no decoration. The choir vault and the high, cylindrical pillars betray their Nordic origin and lend the structure an unusual vertical thrust. The apse part is illuminated by splendid frescoes depicting the life of Christ.
Viafarini has been active since 1991 with the purpose of promoting contemporary art. It offers an exposition space for artists and supports experimental and innovative art. In addition, it has its own archive and has a residency program for artists and curators.