Milan Culture: Art collector Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli began assembling his collection in 1850 to adorn his own apartment within his family's palace. This hobby turned into a series of rooms each inspired by a different theme ranging from Baroque to Medieval to the Early Renaissance.
In 1881 the museum was opened to the public as part of the Milan National Exhibition, and quickly become the mold for many future personal collections-turned-public museums.
