Alle origini di Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli e del suo museo. La linea paterna (1750-1833)

This article reconstructs, for the first time, the paternal ancestry of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822–1879) and investigates the origins of the wealth, artistic culture, and architectural legacy that ultimately enabled the creation of the Museo Poldi Pezzoli. Based on unpublished archival research conducted in Milan, Bergamo, Parma, and Mendrisio, it traces the history of the Pezzoli family of Bergamo—wealthy entrepreneurs and tax farmers under the Austrian administration—and of the Poldi family of Parma, shedding new light on the patrimony inherited by the collector. Particular attention is devoted to Giuseppe Pezzoli d’Albertone, who transformed the family’s Milanese residence with the architect Simone Cantoni and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli, and to Giuseppe Poldi, Gian Giacomo’s father, whose artistic education at the Academy of Parma and early architectural training have remained virtually unknown until now. The article reconstructs the architectural commissions, noble ambitions, collections, and libraries accumulated by these generations, while identifying previously unpublished works, documents, and decorative campaigns connected with the family residences in Milan and Parma. By reassessing the cultural environment into which Gian Giacomo was born, the study demonstrates that the foundations of his collecting practice and museum project lay not only in the celebrated Trivulzio maternal lineage but also in the entrepreneurial success, artistic patronage, and cultural aspirations of his paternal family, substantially revising the traditional interpretation of the origins of the Museo Poldi Pezzoli.