I admit it – I tend to use superlatives whenever I talk, write, or even dream about Italy. But with good reason.
The Palazzo Reale, the very heart of Milan’s art scene, is a kind of pilgrimage site for me. Every year – more often, every six months – I try to be there for the latest exhibition. The building itself is a journey through time: the Sforzas, the Spanish rule, the Habsburgs, the House of Savoy, and then the postwar period – every era left its mark. You can feel those layers in every wall, in every room.
This neoclassical masterpiece captivates not just with its architecture, but with its ever-changing exhibitions – and I try not to miss a single one.
2021: Monet
In 2021, I saw 53 paintings by Claude Monet here. Water Lilies (1916–1919), Parliament, Reflections on the Thames (1905), Roses (1925–1926). Familiar works, but they felt different here. The silence of the rooms, the colors bouncing off the walls – everything felt like one long, slow gesture. There was no rush. Just presence.
2022: Michelangelo
In 2022, Michelangelo’s three historic plaster casts of the Pietà were on display in the Hall of Caryatids. Unfortunately, I didn’t get in – the queue was hours long. I told myself: “The original’s in the Vatican anyway – I’ll see it there.” I still haven’t. I still regret missing this one.
2023: Leandro Erlich
Then came Leandro Erlich, in 2023. Finally, he arrived in Milan – and I was there. A mind-bending exhibition where nothing was what it seemed. Buildings you could climb, floating houses, elevators to nowhere, spiral escalators, surreal sculptures, upside-down videos. It revealed how fragile normality is – and yes, I climbed the façade and held onto the window ledge. You don’t forget things like that.
2024: Cézanne & Renoir
In 2024, it was back to painting: Cézanne and Renoir, with works from Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay. I’d seen many of these in their original homes, years ago, but the way the rooms here were curated – like artists’ studios – opened up entirely new perspectives. Familiar works took on a new tone, a new light.
2024: Dolce & Gabbana
Also in 2024 came the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition. Not classical fine art – but a passionate love letter to Italian culture. It brought the creative world of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to life: from the heart, to the idea, to the hands, to the fabric. After its premiere in Milan, this show is set to travel the world – but luckily, I didn’t miss it. It showcased a distinct Italian vision: elegant, sensual, unique, playful, irreverent, and revolutionary – all at once.
2025: Edvard Munch
Almost missed this one too – but in January 2025, I managed to catch the Munch exhibition. 100 works, back in Milan after 40 years. Brought in collaboration with MUNCH Oslo, it was worth every second of the long queue on that cold winter morning.
2025: Valerio Berruti
And now it’s summer 2025. Milan again, and the Valerio Berruti exhibition. “More Than Just Children” – that’s the title, and it fits. Unfinished lines, floating figures, and something that’s neither past nor present. A space where we don’t look back on childhood, but step inside it again. Where time hasn’t closed off yet, and everything is just beginning.
And today, I’m here once more. Same building, new artworks – yet all strangely familiar. Some places don’t need a reason. You just keep coming back.