Milano antica e Milano moderna tra le arti decorative giunte all'Esposizione degli oggetti artistici di metallo di Roma (1886)

This article examines Milan’s contribution to the Exhibition of Artistic Metal Objects held in Rome in 1886, situating it within the broader dialogue between Milanese and Roman approaches to the decorative and applied arts in late nineteenth-century Italy. By analyzing institutional frameworks, curatorial strategies, and the circulation of artworks, collectors, artisans, and dealers, the study highlights the asymmetry between Milan—where industrial art museums struggled to achieve institutional stability—and Rome, where the Museo Artistico Industriale played a central coordinating role. Particular attention is given to the exhibition layout, the prominence of historical Lombard metalwork, and the participation of modern Milanese foundries and craftsmen. Through archival sources, photographic documentation, and contemporary criticism, the article sheds light on the cultural, economic, and social networks activated by the exhibition, questioning the extent to which such events fostered lasting artistic exchange or merely temporary moments of shared sociability within the Italian decorative arts system of the post-Unification period.