Raphael’s ‘The Lady with the Unicorn’ in Brianza: masterpieces from museums to the local area
From 29 October to 11 December, free admission every day from 9.30 am to 7 pm. Giuli: ‘Cultural heritage gains value when it is accessible to everyone’
Key points
Raphael comes to Brianza. One of his most fascinating and mysterious early masterpieces, *The Lady with the Unicorn*, from Rome’s Galleria Borghese, will be on display at the MUST in Vimercate for free admission from 29 October until 11 December. The cultural project, promoted by the Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia, the Galleria Borghese, Vimercate Town Council and the main partner Edison, thus takes a further step forward in its journey.
Following the Marco d’Oggiono exhibition, held in 2023 in the artist’s own hometown, the Caravaggio exhibition in Merate in 2024 featuring *Narcissus*, and the most recent Titian exhibition in Carate Brianza last year featuring *Venus Blinding Cupid*, 2026 will therefore be the year of the ‘Divine One’ (as defined by Giorgio Vasari and consigned to history) and, in particular, of the work that marks his transition to full artistic maturity and propels him to Rome, where he will have the opportunity to fully express his boundless talent. It is therefore no coincidence that this painting was also celebrated until a few weeks ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, during the exhibition dedicated to the Master of Urbino entitled ‘Raphael: Sublime Poetry’, the most significant ever organised in the United States, attracting a record average of almost seven thousand visitors a day.
Giuli: a museum becomes a universal meeting place
“Cultural heritage gains value when it is accessible to everyone. This is the guiding principle behind our efforts to expand opportunities for learning about and enjoying it. Masterpieces travel from major museums to local councils, where families and citizens can admire them in their own local area,” said the Minister for Culture Alessandro Giuli during the presentation. “In Vimercate, a civic museum thus becomes a place where everyone can come together. Culture is community, a spirit of participation and a network of relationships – a tapestry woven from creativity, imagination and beauty that finds its fullest meaning when it is shared.”
-U12021312233lMI-600x313@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg)
“Art is a fundamental pillar of every community. It helps it to grow, strengthens it, and enables it to interpret reality and lay the foundations for its future,” emphasises Maurizio Lupi, president of the Costruiamo il Futuro Foundation. The ‘La Grande Arte in Brianza’ project was created to bring beauty to the region and make it accessible to everyone. The 75,000 visitors we had the opportunity to welcome during the first three editions, featuring works by Marco d’Oggiono, Caravaggio and Titian, were a clear sign of the strong interest and enthusiasm generated. Together with the team of partners with whom we are carrying out this project, we have sought to challenge ourselves once again, succeeding in bringing the ‘Divine’ Raphael to Vimercate. *The Lady with the Unicorn* is an extraordinary work that speaks directly to people’s hearts. This masterpiece has never before been exhibited in Lombardy; viewing it offers a unique educational opportunity, particularly for schools and pupils. This exhibition embodies the spirit of the Olivetti Plan, which recognises culture as an essential resource for strengthening social cohesion and promoting regional development throughout Italia. It is a vision to which the Government attaches great importance and which constitutes a key element of its programme. We are counting on another extraordinary response from the local community.”
The elements of the work
*The Lady with the Unicorn* was painted between 1505 and 1506, when the artist was just 22 years old and living in Florence. This work definitively established the exceptional talents of the young Raphael, who, at the end of 1508, was summoned by Pope Julius II della Rovere to Rome to paint the frescoes in the papal apartments, beginning with the Stanza della Segnatura, thus marking the start of the most glorious phase of his magnificent artistic career. The work on display at the MUST depicts a young woman in half-length portrait, whose identity is uncertain (although there are several theories), elegantly dressed and seated in front of the balustrade of a loggia. She has long, tied-back blonde hair, blue eyes and an intense yet serene gaze directed towards the viewer. In her arms she holds a small unicorn, a traditional symbol of purity and chastity; a detail that suggests this may be a wedding portrait. In the background, a hilly landscape with soft, muted tones comes into view.
