Milan

Milan

The capital of Italian luxury and fashion, Milan is a trendy city that has so much to offer tourists: art, food, design, shopping and entertainment.

Visited every day by millions of visitors from all over the world, Milan is a city full of treasures comprising poetic views, Art Nouveau buildings and architectural gems ranging from the Gothic to Romanesque styles.

Milan is centred around Piazza del Duomo, vibrant and not only symbolic centre of the city. Most of the square is occupied by the white mass of the Duomo, one of the most significant monuments of the decorative Gothic style, in which German influences are softened by the intervention of local craftsmen. The square is also home to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, considered, along with Via Monte Napoleone and Via della Spiga, to be one of Milan's most exclusive shopping areas. There is a monument to Vittorio Emanuele II right in the centre of the square and this is a meeting point for all kinds of people. A series of buildings dating back to different periods, such as Palazzo della Rinascente, the Arengario, Palazzo Reale and the side of the Archbishop’s Palace, surround it.

Milan is even more beautiful seen from above. All you need to do is climb up to the roof of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II or the Terrazza del Duomo to enjoy a wonderful view of the city and even see the contours of the Alps.

Another famous religious building is the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, devoted to the patron saint of Milan. Considered to be one of the most important examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture, the basilica represents not only a monument of the early Christian and medieval period, but also a fundamental point in Milanese history and that of the Ambrosian Church. At the centre of the presbytery, the ciborium stands over the famous Golden Altar, an exquisite work of art dating back to the first half of the 9th century.

Another of the symbols of the city of Milan is the Sforzesco Castle, built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza on the site of a previous fortification, although it has undergone considerable transformation over time. Also not to be missed are Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, one of the world' s most famous paintings, preserved inside the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the Pinacoteca di Brera, one of the most important art galleries in Italy.