We are arrived to Palazzo Morando, the second stop of your itinerary.
The palace, which its full name is Palazzo Morando Attendolo Bolognini, was built in the late 500’s but it now reflects the 1700’s style. Today it is very famous for its collection of fashion and customs of the city of Milan.
Obviously, this palace is located in the fashion quadrilateral, in Via Sant’Andrea 6.
The palace was inhabited by different noble families until 1903. In this date, the palace became of property of the countess Lydia Caprara di Montalto and her husband Gian Giacomo Morando Attendolo Bolognini.
When the countess died, in 1945, according to the will of the woman, the palace and all its furniture were donated to the city of Milan and became a museum.
The furniture, decorations and other art works of the Morando collection were divided into different categories and joined other collections. They were in a second time brought back to the Palace Morando and they became the decorations of a wing which was assembled as a stately home.
Today, the museum has two distinct paths. One is the Pinacoteca which includes Milan’s views from the 17th to the 19th century and these are painted by Luigi Beretta. It also includes other works from the Litta collection which comes from the Maggiore hospital. The other path is the one that includes the noble apartments. These are a classic example of noble homes in the 1700.
The part of the palace that interests us the most is the new wing which was established in 2010. In this wing there is exposed an historic textile heritage, different clothing, dresses, accessories and uniforms. The historic period from which they come from varies from the 1600 until our days. This collection was first kept in the deposits of the Sforzesco castle.
All this collection demonstrates and highlights the evolution of Milan’s fashion, starting from the popular costumes of the 17th century and arriving to the contemporary tailoring creations. The collection has increased a lot also in the last years thanks to different donations and purchases that enriched the heritage with important Italian and international fashion brands.
The collection includes circa 6000 fashion pieces, impossible to expose them all together. This is why the palace uses a rotating exposure system to enhance each single piece.
We reached the end of this second stage and will now head to our third and last stop where you will be able to enjoy a little bit of relax in a glamourous hotel.