The Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM) is one of Milan's most underrated museums — a remarkable collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, including works by Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso and Modigliani, shown for a modest entry fee in the elegant 18th-century Villa Reale beside the Giardini Pubblici.
About the museum
The GAM occupies the Villa Reale, a neoclassical mansion once home to Napoleon's viceroy, set behind formal gardens next to Milan's oldest public park. The setting alone — grand rooms, garden views — makes it a pleasure to walk through.
The collection focuses on the 18th to 20th centuries, tracing Italian and European art from neoclassicism and Romanticism through to the modern movements.
Artists in the collection
For such an inexpensive museum, the roll-call is remarkable.
Key post-impressionist works sit alongside Picasso and Modigliani in the modern galleries.
Francesco Hayez, Giovanni Segantini and the great names of 19th-century Italian painting.
Powerful late-19th-century Italian works charting the country's social change.
An 18th-century neoclassical villa with an English garden — a work of art in itself.
Well worth visiting
Even if you're not a fan of modern art, this is a museum you'll enjoy — between the collection and the villa itself, it won't leave you indifferent. Set in the elegant Villa Reale beside the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli, it's an easy, low-cost visit to pair with a walk in the park.
Visiting tips
At just €5 it's arguably the best-value cultural visit in the city.
Combine it with the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli, right next door.
Quieter than the central museums, so a calm hour or two.
Metro Palestro (M1) is a two-minute walk.
Combine the GAM and the public gardens with a walk through elegant Porta Venezia.