Documents show that, as early as 1685, the Ambrosiana had a lock of hair from Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519), the daughter of Roderic, later Pope Alexander VI, who married Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. It was kept together with nine letters, also in the Ambrosiana, written by Lucrezia to Pietro Bembo (1470-1547), the humanist cardinal and man of letters. This lock of blonde hair became an almost cult object for the Romantics in the nineteenth century, and it was housed, like a reliquary, in this display case made by Alfredo Ravasco, one of the finest goldsmiths in Milan in the first half of the century, with a combination of precious materials, hardstones and gems. The two pendants, with the heraldic emblems of the aristocratic Borgia (the bull) and d’Este (the eagle) families, are worthy of note.
An itinerary through the treasures of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana curated by Federico Gallo and Stefano Martinelli Tempesta | Pinacoteca, rooms 2 and 3
From April 15, on the occasion of Design Week, the rooms of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana will host 'Moleskine Detour', an international exhibition promoted by Moleskine and the Moleskine Foundation.
Recovery of the functionality of the balconies of the Sala Federiciana, Borromeo and della Rosa through the installation of lifelines
Every Saturday at 15.30 a guided tour of the masterpieces of the Pinacoteca, together with professional guides of our official partner AdArtem
