Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana
Piazza Pio XI, 2
20123 Milano
Metro
M1 stop Cordusio or Duomo | M3 stop Duomo
Tram
Line 12-14-16 stop Orefici/Cantù |Line 2-3 stop Duomo
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Sunday 10.00-18.00 (the ticket office closes at 17.30)
Closed on Wednesday
Open on August 14 and 15
PARTNERSHIPS 1*:
• Pogliaghi Museum or Colosso San Carlo di Arona ticket holders (within one year of issue), Gallerie d’Italia ticket holders, Intesa Sanpaolo employees, ATM emplyees or ATM annual pass holders
PARTNERSHIPS 2*:
• Touring Club members, FAI members, full Duomo Pass or Duomo Fast-track owners, owners of the Piemonte Valle d’Aosta Museums Subscription, Villa Arconati ticket Holders, Società del Quartetto Card owners, COOP members, owners of the Artsupp Card
OTHER FREE ADMISSIONS
Membership of the respective categories must be proved by a document/card currently valid.
• Authorised guides with registration card and teachers accompanying school groups (1 for every 10 students).
• Journalists who need to visit the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana to review it are admitted for free. They need to submit the accreditation request to the press office with at least 24 hours advance, specifying the name of the publication and the day scheduled for the visit (mail: press@ambrosiana.it). Otherwise, journalists are granted a reduced ticket upon presentation of their journalist card, valid for the current year.
• ICOM members
• Possessors of ABBONAMENTO MUSEI LOMBARDIA (only for Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, on presentation of the subscription card together with ID)
• There also exist special permits, for professional reasons and with the approval of the administration for: superintendents of the fine arts, public officials and scholars-researchers (with cover letter by a Professor).
For further information: contatti@ambrosiana.it
Audioguide
€ 3.00 (without earphones) / € 4.00 with earphones Ita / Eng
GROUPS AND GUIDED TOURS
Reservations required for groups with at least 15 participants (each group maximum 25 people)
tel: +39 0292897721
email: ambrosiana@vivaticket.it
Mon-Fri 10.00 a.m.-6.00 p.m., excluding holidays
GROUP FARES
ADULTS Pinacoteca € 12,65 | Crypt € 7,65 | Pinacoteca + Crypt € 16,65
SCHOOLS Pinacoteca + Crypt € 5,50
NURSERY SCHOOL GROUPS (UP TO 5 YEARS OLD): FREE
[MORE INFORMATION ON OUR OFFERS FOR GUIDED TOURS AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES]
READ THE RULES OF THE PINACOTECA
READ THE LIST OF THE ARTWOKS TEMPORALY ABSENT FROM THE ITINERARY
Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 16.50
For printed books and manuscripts, reservation with at least two working days’ notice is highly recommended. The reservation must be addressed to: prenotazione.salalettura@ambrosiana.it
Reservation, in the same way as above, is mandatory for drawings, engravings, parchments and materials from archival funds.
Following the current unusability of part of the rooms used for book storage, some shelf marks may be unavailable.
The distribution of material that has not been booked will be limited to the time slot between 9.00 and 12.00.
Due to reasons of force majeure, the Library may be forced to reduce its service, up to and including the temporary closure.
Closing days 2024:
• Italian public holidays.
• From Good Friday, March 29, to Friday April 5 included
• April 26
• From Monday July 22, to Friday August 30 included, reopening on Monday September 2
• From Monday December 23 to Monday January 6, 2025 included
Notice to Thesis supervisors, PhD students and researchers:
We invite Thesis supervisors, Ph.D. and Specialization Schools Lecturers to contact the Library Director (e-mail: direzione.biblioteca@ambrosiana.it), before assigning or taking on researches that require the consultation of materials included in this list (see Rules, Art. 4, § 3 >>>).
This precaution is necessary because of the state of some materials, which does not allow consultation.
For information concerning the materials that can be consulted, see this page.
Founded by Cardinal Federico Borromeo and inaugurated in 1609, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana is administered by the College of Fellows (Collegio dei Dottori), presided over by the Prefect.
The ordinary administration of the services is coordinated by the Head Librarian, who reports to the Director of the Library.
Assistance to scholars in the Reading Room is guaranteed by the library staff, as far as they are competent, and by the presence of a Fellow with the title of Head Librarian.
Notice to Thesis Supervisors, PhD candidates and graduates working on theses:
Thesis Supervisors, PhD candidates and graduates working on theses are requested to contact the Library Administration (e-mail: direzione.biblioteca@ambrosiana.it), before assigning research topics that entail consultation of the materials in the reserve collections, subject to Special Rules for the consultation of manuscripts and incunabula (see Library Rules, Art. 4, §3).
This precaution is necessary because of the state of some materials, which precludes consultation. For information concerning the materials that can be consulted, see the relevant page.
ART. 1 – OPENING TIMES
§ 1.SEE OPENING HOURS PUBLISHED ABOVE ON THIS PAGE
§2. It is closed: on public holidays; on the feast of St. Ambrose, patron saint of Milan (December 7); from 24 December to 6 January; from Thursday in Easter Week to the Sunday after Easter; during the summer holidays (as scheduled from year to year) and on other days shown on the calendar.
ART 2. – ADMISSIONS
§1. Access to the Library, after authorization and registration, is open to anyone 18 and older. Users are requested to wear attire suitable to the decorum of the institution.
§2. Access is subject to authorization by the Head Librarian, who will assess the applicant’s need to consult the Library holdings. Where necessary, a letter of presentation will be required.
§3. On entering and leaving the Library, users must fill in the register.
§4. On entry to the Reading Room, users must show their pass to library staff.
§5.The membership pass lasts one year and is of two types: ordinary (for consulting printed matter from 1901 only) and special (for all other printed materials and manuscripts).
ART. 3 – CONSULTATION
§ 1.Pass holders are allowed direct access the printed materials in the Reading Room. Those who have to use the steps to reach books, should apply to the library staff. After consultation, volumes must be left on the tables, without replacing them on the shelves.
§2. Applications to consult other printed matter, incunabula, manuscripts and archival documents should be made to the library staff using the forms in the Reading Room.
§3. Each user may submit a maximum of four requests daily.
§4.The staff distribute the material requested from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The material must be returned by 4.45 p.m. All users must leave the reading room by 4.50 p.m.
§5.Those who wish to continue to consult the material on the following day, should tell the library staff. If the applicant fails to appear the following day, the material will be put away and a new application should be made.
ART. 4 – MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKS
§1. When material of this type is provided for consultation, the library staff will request the user’s ID, to be held until the material is returned.
§2. If the material being consulted is a manuscript or other fragile or valuable document, the use of white cotton gloves is required, which can be purchased at the library distribution counter.
§3. Some printed matter, incunabula, manuscripts and archival documents are available with reserve. The scholar who wishes to consult such material must submit a written application to the Library administration in justification.
§4. To consult drawings a reservation is required: this can be made by e-mail at booking.disegni@ambrosiana.it .
ART. 5 – MATERIALS PERMITTED IN THE READING ROOM
§1. Users may not enter the Reading Room with overcoats, cloaks, bags of any kind, umbrellas, beverages, foodstuffs or any other objects not necessary for reading. Only paper and writing materials are allowed.
§2. Complete silence must be observed in the Reading Room.
§3. Users may bring and use laptops.
§4. Mobile phones must be in silent mode and must not be left on the work desks. It is strictly prohibited to make or answer phone calls or use any other audio function.
§5. For the use of other instruments (Wood lamp, microfilm/microfiche reader, etc.) please contact library staff.
ART. 6 – REPRODUCTIONS
§1. It is forbidden to use one’s own equipment to take photos of printed works, incunabula, manuscripts, drawings or any other kind of material being consulted.
§ 2. Applications for reproductions must be submitted online by filling the image request form (click here)
§3. Photocopying of manuscript and printed material prior to 1950 is prohibited. For photocopies of printed material after 1950, please contact the staff.
§ 4. The Library Administration has the right to prohibit reproduction in any form of any material that might be damaged in the reproduction process.
ART. 7 – STUDIES OF MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY
§1. Normally, scholars present the Library with publications concerning the materials studied. Except for cases agreed on with the Administration, the consultation of degree theses delivered to the library is understood to be allowed.
ART. 8 – SINGLE DISCIPLINARY RULE
The Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana may suspend or prevent the renewal of the registration pass of any persons who, by their behaviour, have damaged the library material or caused a disturbance to the normal functioning of the Library itself.