The title cluster, [Cu₄(C₁₁H₁₂N₂O₆)₄], was obtained from the Cu⁰–FeCl₂·4H₂O–H₄L–Et₃N–DMF reaction system (in air), where H₄Lis 2-hydroxymethyl-2{[(2-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)methylidene]amino}propane-1,3-diol and DMF is dimethylformamide. The asymmetric unit consists of one Cu²⁺ion and one dianionic ligand; a -4 symmetry element generates the cluster, which contains a {Cu₄O₄} cubane-like core. The metal ion has an elongated square-based pyramidal CuNO₄coordination geometry with the N atom in a basal site. An intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond is observed. The solvent molecules were found to be highly disordered and their contribution to the scattering was removed with the SQUEEZE procedure inPLATON[Spek (2009).Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155], which indicated a solvent cavity of volume 3131 ųcontaining approximately 749 electrons. These solvent molecules are not considered in the given chemical formula.