The Central Municipal Library, commonly referred to as La Sormani by the Milanese, is located in a very prestigious building, which has had a long story and as many names as the owners it has changed through the centuries.
A peculiarity of Palazzo Sormani is the presence of two facades of great artistic importance: the main one faces Corso di Porta Vittoria and was carried out in 1741-44 by architect Francesco Croce; the complementary facade, dating back to the second half of the 18th century, by Benedetto Alfieri, faces the backyard.
Among the works of art decorating the halls, the most significant is the series of 23 paintings on the myth of Orpheus enchanting the animals in the hall known as Sala del Grechetto.