A bank vault typically holds riches, keepsakes and wonders. However, the vault of the former Banca Commerciale Italiana, which once held immensely valuable items, is particularly special. In the place of the old deposit boxes are 500 paintings belonging to the Gallerie d’Italia Collection. A large exhibition hall, designed in the early years of the last century by Milanese architect Luca Beltrami and then revisited by Michele De Lucchi, also holds two hefty doric columns. The stairway, the balustrade of the walkway and the wrought iron features recall the motifs of the balustrade of the grand stairwell on the upper floor, making the design particularly harmonious. The works of art - from Balla to Carrà, from Severini to Picasso - for which there was simply no space on the upper floor, have been hung on an intricate and highly-secure system of rolling panels which allow for these works to be seen while offering their absolute protection, creating a unique viewing experience as well.
The director of the Pinacoteca of Brera tells of having spent one of the most unforgettable evenings of his life with the painting during its temporary exhibition before it returned to Paris.
