Formerly the residence of all those who governed Milan, from Napoleon to the Royal House of Savoy, the Palazzo Reale is currently one of the most important cultural centers in the city and hosted exhibitions of international renown. Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol  were just a few of the famous exhibitions on display at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. Neighbors to the Duomo, it’s the perfect place to escape the crowds of the Duomo’s plaza.
In 2022, Palazzo Reale officially joined the Association des Résidences Royales Européennes (ARRE), an act that also allows for peer exchange with the most prestigious palaces in Europe such as the castles of Bavaria, Poland, Schonbrunn or Versailles. In Italy, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Royal Villa of Monza, the Castle of Miramare and the Royal Palace of Turin are also part of the circuit.
As Milan joins the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities (August 2023), the architectural complex of Palazzo Reale will be enhanced not only as a venue for temporary exhibitions, but also as a residence-museum, to be visited for its rooms and furnishings. Already by 2019, both the historical reconstruction of the Throne Room, which Napoleon Bonaparte had specially made for his coronation as King of Italy in 1805, and the restoration of Giacomo Raffaelli’s large and valuable Centrotavola, commissioned from the Roman mosaicist for the banquet in Napoleon’s honor at his coronation (now permanently displayed in Sala Quattro Colonne) had been taken care of.
The goal of the European Napoleonic Cities Foundation (FECN) is to create a network of cities, sites and cultural institutions to promote, in a European dimension, the enhancement of the cultural heritage of the Napoleonic era. The Foundation initiated “Destination Napoleon,” a cultural itinerary to promote and network Napoleonic heritage, in 2015 also received certification as a “Council of Europe Cultural Route.” It is joined by more than 50 European cities (from Paris to Waterloo), as well as numerous cultural institutions such as the Villa Reale in Monza, Villa Carlotta in Como, the Musée Carnavalet in Paris, and the Château de Fontainbleu.
Address:Â Piazza Duomo, 12
Transport: M1 – M3Â (red line – yellow line) Duomo
GPS:Â 45.4631163,9.191188300000022
T: +39 02 88465230
www.palazzorealemilano.it
Tickets: depending on the exhibition
Opening Hours: Closed on Mon. Opening hours vary according to the exhibition on show. Check the current exhibitions here.
If you are planning to visit this location on one of the following dates, we recommend you to check the availability:Â 1, 6 January, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 25 April, 1 May, 2 June, 15 August, 1 November, 8, 25, 26 and 31 December.
