Brera Academy was born in 1776, in Milan, on the location of a convent of the Order of the Humiliated, in addition to the Astronomic Observatory, the Library and the Academy of Fine Arts.

From this moment on the teaching of the Fine Arts becomes of public domain, and the Academy starts holding some works of art to be as models for the students.

Giuseppe Bossi is remembered as the person who first gave a strong drive to the life of the Academy: during Napoleonic times an independent library and picture gallery. And, still under his management, in the beginning of the 19th century annual exhibition start taking place, and become the major contemporary art events in Italy of the time, with reviews of students' work and works of Italian and European artists.

Brera's Academy of Fine Arts gives access to many four year courses, post diploma. In particular: painting, sculpture, stage design, decoration, design, restoration and contemporary art, sacred arts, art communication and didactics, multimedia visual communication and cultural heritage.

Admission is regulated by an entry test divided in 3 different moments: a graphic test and culture test, both in the shape of written exams. Finally the aptitude test with the board of the discipline one wants to attend at the Academy.

As well as the above mentioned cycle of studies, the Brera Academy has undertaken the road of professional training in co-operation with the European Social Fund, the Lombardia region and the Ministry of Work from 1996, thus starting a series of briefer courses reserved for graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts and and graduates in the disciplines required every time, as long as they are unemployed and less than 27 years old.

In this case also access to ESF courses is regulated by a test. Courses are free with obligatory attendance for a duration of 1000 hours, subdivided between lectures, seminars and stages. At the end an attendance certificate will be released to students who have reached the required number of attendance dates.

Courses are: Organization and communication of visual arts; Assistants for Therapy Arts; Light Design; Department/lab manager, printing complexes - expert in expression, communication and print - cataloguer of antique and modern prints.