Brera in Milano in Città Metropolitana di Milano, Lombardy, Italy — Southern and Western Europe (Mediterranean)

Palazzo Cusani

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2023

1. Palazzo Cusani Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Il palazzo, costruito nel Seicento per la famiglia Cusani, deve la sua notorietà alla sontuosa facciata a tre piani realizzata nel 1719 dall'architetto Giovanni Ruggeri. Tra le poche espressioni del baracco milanese, è scandita da alte lesene e presenta una lunga sequenza di finestre a timpano e due portali sovrastati da balconate con eleganti ringhiere in ferro battuto. L'insieme degli elementi architettonici, la ricchezza delle decorazioni e la scelta dei materiali - arenaria e pietra di ceppo - conferiscono alla facciata un aspetto fortemente chiaroscurato. Il cortile, con due lati porticati a colonne tuscaniche binate, risale al XVII secolo. Dallo scalone d'onore che si apre sotto il portico si accede al piano nobile, con una straordinaria sequenza di sale passanti e il grande salone da ballo, ornato nella volta da un affresco allegorico attribuito a Giovanni Angelo Borroni. La sobria facciata neoclassica verso il giardino è di Giuseppe Piermarini. Il palazzo ospita oggi il Comando Militare e il Circolo Ufficiali dell'Esercito in Lombardia.

Constructed in the 17th century

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for the Cusani family, this edifice is renowned for its splendid three-storey facade designed by the architect Giovanni Ruggeri in 1719. A rare expression of Milanese baroque style, it features tall pilasters, a long row of pedimented windows and two entrances surmounted by balconies with elegant wrought-iron railings. As a whole, the architectural features, wealth of decoration and choice of materials - sandstone and Ceppo stone - produce a marked chiaroscuro effect on the facade. The courtyard dates from the 17th century and has two sides porticoed with paired Tuscan columns. A staircase of honour beneath the portico leads to the piano nobile and its remarkable sequence of through rooms and a grand ballroom, the vaulted ceiling of which is decorated with an allegorical fresco attributed to Giovanni Angelo Borroni. Giuseppe Piermarini designed the restrained Neoclassical facade overlooking the garden. Today, Palazzo Cusani is home to the Military Area Command and the Lombardy Army Officers' Mess.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Military. In addition, it is included in the Milan Red-Gray Stelae series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1719.

Location. 45° 28.272′ N, 9° 11.251′ E. Marker is in Milano, Lombardia (Lombardy),

Palazzo Cusani Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2023

2. Palazzo Cusani Marker - wide view

in Città Metropolitana di Milano. It is in Brera. Marker is on Via Brera, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Via Brera 15, Milano, Lombardia 20121, Italy. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Quartiere Brera (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Laghetto di San Marco / Pond of San Marco (about 210 meters away); San Marco (about 210 meters away); Wolfango Amedeo Mozart (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); Luigi Porro Lambertenghi, Silvio Pellico (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Federico Confalonieri (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Vincenzo Monti (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Roberto Veratti (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milano.

Also see . . .
1. Palazzo Cusani (Brera Design District).

Excerpt: The Cusani family had acquired during the 17th century a property at the Church of Sant'Eusebio, now disappeared: there Agostino Cusani (1592-1640), feudal lord and later Marquis of Chignolo Po, had a palace built during the first decades of the 17th century. Subsequently, the palace was remodeled for the first time (1694-1719) at the behest of Gerolamo Cusani, who commissioned Giovanni Ruggeri to build the new external facade; a second remodeling (1775-1779) was entrusted to Piermarini by Ferdinando Cusani (1737-1815) and involved the internal facade,
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2023

3. Palazzo Cusani and Marker
which was built in neoclassical forms. The palace was sold in 1808 by his son Luigi (1769-1836), ruined by gambling debts, to the State property of the Kingdom of Italy, which established the Ministry of War. Along with this property were also sold the adjacent ones.

It was the headquarters of the 3rd Army Corps Command until 2004 and is currently NATO's representative headquarters in Milan. Since 2012 it has also been the headquarters of the Lombardy Army Military Command.

(Submitted on April 3, 2023.)

2. Palazzo Cusani, home of NRDC-ITA in Milan (YouTube, 2:35). “ Palazzo Cusani, home of NRDC-ITA in Milan Discovering 🇮🇹 Italy's culture and history. We are proud to present the #NRDCITA Institutional home in Milan: Palazzo Cusani. Four centuries of history in the heart of Brera. Signs of several historical periods, conflicts and artistic styles. Nato Rapid Deployable Corps Italy, Solbiate Olona, Milan, (NRDC-ITA) is a highly capable multinational headquarters designed for rapid worldwide deployment.” (Submitted on April 3, 2023.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 3, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 71 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 3, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.