The word Brera is an ancient German one, meaning "meadows". Today's Brera is a trendy district at the centre of Old Milan, with narrow alleys, lots of restaurants, shops, and some smart nightlife venues. Until a few decades ago the Accademia (or Brera Fine Arts Academy) was the core of a Little Bohemia, attracting avant-garde painters and writers.
.:. In the same palazzo as the Accademia – a beautiful building, which belonged to the Jesuits till the late 18th century – you can visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, or Brera National Art Gallery, one of the world's major art collections with works by Raphael, Mantegna, Piero della Francesca, to mention but a few.
.:. More. In the Brera district you also find centuries-old churches, like the Carmine, as well as some more recent buildings, like the Teatro Strehler.

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