The Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy, contains one of the world's most exceptional collections of Italian paintings. The gallery traces its beginnings back to a 1776 decree by Maria Theresia of Austria who wished to create an art collection that would offer students the opportunity to study great masterpieces of art close up. Officially founded in 1809 by Napoleon I, the museum houses its exceptional collection in the Neoclassical Palazzo di Brera alongside one of Italy's most famous art schools, the Accademia di Belle Arti. A characteristic feature of the Brera, which differentiates it from many other Italian museums, is the presence of masterpieces from a broad range of schools: Lombard, Tuscan and Venetian artworks are richly represented, as well as important paintings of the Flemish school. The Brera collection also spans multiple artistic movements, from fourteenth-century frescos up to works by key artists of the twentieth century.