Image: Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, ETHICS
The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and the Crypt of San Sepolcro will open free of charge to residents of Milan from 6 to 31 August 2026, in a summer initiative the institution says is intended to renew its connection with the city and invite local visitors to rediscover two of Milan’s cultural landmarks.
According to the Ambrosiana, admission will be free for all citizens residing in the Comune di Milano. Visitors need only present themselves at the ticket office of either the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana or the Crypt and show a valid identity document proving Milan residency. The offer applies across the full month, with the two sites open daily from 10.00 to 18.00, except Wednesday, when they are closed.
The announcement comes from the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the historic institution that oversees the Pinacoteca and the Crypt. In the press material, the Ambrosiana describes itself as the city’s oldest museum institution and frames the initiative as an opportunity for Milan residents to encounter closely the works preserved there, including masterpieces associated with Leonardo, Caravaggio and Raphael.
Antonello Grimaldi, secretary general of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, said the summer programme aims to return the Ambrosiana and the Crypt, together with their masterpieces, to Milanese visitors. He added that museums should find ways to move beyond walls often perceived as elitist and self-referential, and become places for everyone. In the same statement, Grimaldi said the institution wants the art housed there to meet the city rather than remain behind a display case.
The August access policy is part of a broader seasonal offer at the Ambrosiana. On Saturdays in July and August, the Pinacoteca extends its opening hours into the evening, remaining open from 18.00 to 22.00 with last admission at 21.00. The institution lists a single reduced ticket price of €10 for those Saturday night openings. The newsletter also notes free admission for visitors over 65 until 31 August, with tickets requested directly at the ticket desk.
The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and the Crypt of San Sepolcro are both located in Milan at Piazza Pio XI, 2, under the umbrella of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Alongside the August admission offer, the institution’s newsletter highlights other summer programming, including 'Ambrosiana nascosta: da Occidente a Oriente' and guided visits for families and adults, as well as lantern-lit visits to the Crypt of San Sepolcro on selected dates later in the year.
