Before it became Casa Ortelli, it had been the home of artists since 1870
ERA Gallery is located at Via Gioacchino Rossini 3, in a historic building constructed between 1871 and 1887, designed by Innocenzo Odescalchi and Pietro Ortelli, who also oversaw its interior decoration and ornamental features. From its inception, the building was conceived to house artists' studios and ateliers on its lower floors, making it one of the rare examples in Milan of a building whose identity has been intrinsically linked to artistic production since its very beginning.
Architecturally, the palazzo is a remarkable example of late nineteenth-century Eclecticism. At its heart lies a charming Romantic-style courtyard distinguished by monolithic columns carved from Candoglia marble—the same marble used for Milan's Duomo—alongside Bramante-inspired candelabra columns and cylindrical columns, each crowned with a different capital and supporting an elegant series of arches.
From its earliest years, the building attracted patrons, collectors, and artists from across Italy, establishing itself as an important cultural hub between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was during this period that it acquired the name by which it is still known today: Casa degli Artisti (House of Artists).
Through the vision of engineer Adolfo Premoli Silva, heir to Pietro Ortelli, the ateliers became home to some of the most significant figures in modern Italian art, including Roberto Crippa, Medardo Rosso, Lucio Fontana, and Regina Cassolo Bracchi. The building also welcomed prominent architects such as Marcello Nizzoli, Alessandro Mendini, Mario Oliveri, and many other leading figures of Italian design and architecture.
The premises now occupied by ERA Gallery once housed the Circolo di Via Rossini 3, a gathering place where artists, intellectuals, and collectors met to exchange ideas, engage in discussion, and share moments of conviviality within a vibrant cultural environment.
Among the building's most distinguished occupants was the Milan branch of the gallery founded by Alexander Iolas, the legendary art dealer who championed Surrealism and helped bring artists such as René Magritte and Jean Tinguely to international prominence.
The building is situated in the heart of Milan's renowned Quadrilatero del Silenzio ("Quadrilateral of Silence"), the elegant district enclosed by Via Serbelloni, Via Mozart, Via Cappuccini, and Via Vivaio. This area is known as a secluded and refined enclave—a quiet, almost secret world set apart from the bustle of nearby Porta Venezia.
Today, the neighborhood is celebrated for its rich architectural and artistic heritage: statues and sculptures that adorn its streets—including the celebrated ear-shaped sculpture by Adolfo Wildt at Via Serbelloni 10, symbolically listening to the heartbeat of the city—historic residences such as Villa Necchi Campiglio and Villa Mozart, refined mosaics, and hidden gardens, among them the famous pink flamingo garden of Villa Invernizzi. Yet until around 1870, this part of Milan remained largely open countryside.
ERA Gallery chose this location precisely because of its unique history and character. The gallery's name, ERA, evokes the concept of time itself: an era in which ideas, forms, and languages converge into a contemporary vision that bridges memory and innovation, creating a dialogue between past and future.