Palazzo Ghirlanda-Silva

Palazzo Ghirlanda-Silva
Palazzo Ghirlanda-Silva: main entrance
General information
Type	Public library
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Address	via Italia, 27
Town or city	Brugherio
Country	Italy
Construction started	16th century
Owner	Municipality of Brugherio
Height
Top floor	2
Technical details
Floor area	1992 square meters
Lifts/elevators	2

Coordinates: 45°33′05″N 9°18′08″E / 45.55131°N 9.30222°E / 45.55131; 9.30222

The Palazzo Ghirlanda-Silva (Ghirlanda Silva Mansion) is a patrician building in the old town of Brugherio, Italy. Built in the first half of the nineteenth century, it now houses the public library. It has an area of 1,992 m² (21,440 sq ft), of which 1,407 m² (15,140 sq ft) are used for library services, with the remaining space providing an exhibition room, an auditorium and offices.

The original palazzo, dating from the eighteenth century, was located in the Municipality of Cassina Baraggia, and, along with Villa Fiorita, which now houses the City Hall, was first owned by the Counts Scotti. In 1778, Gio Batta Scotti sold the property to Gaspare Ghirlanda Silva of Milan, from whom the building now takes its name.

On 14 December 1872, Carlo Ghirlanda Silva, who had run up extensive debts, was forced to sell the building. It was sold as two separate lots, one of which was bought by the Municipality of Brugherio, and the other by Paolo Alberti (Ghirlanda Silva's estate manager, mill owner and town councillor of the Municipality of Cassina Baraggia), while the garden adjoining Noseda Square (now called Cesare Battisti Square) was bought by Cavalier Noseda. The Municipality of Brugherio bought the "public part with the courtyard and the garden", and Paolo Alberti bought the "remaining buildings, the farm house, and the rest of the garden to the south".

Until the end of the 19th century, the Palazzo Ghirlanda-Silva housed the elementary school, the municipal offices and, after 1904, a kindergarten. In 1960, when library services began in Brugherio, the library was added to the other public services that were already established in the building. The palace was restored on several occasions in the second half of the 20th century: in 1970, in 1982 and from 1998 to 2003 (for structural repairs). Since the last restoration was completed in 2003, the Palazzo has been used as a library, auditorium and exhibition site.