- Milan parks
- Religious buildings
- Milan landmarks
- Note to shopaholics
- Delicious points on the map
- Theatrical program
The administrative center of Lombardy, the largest city in northern Italy and one of the capitals of world fashion, Milan is spoiled by the attention of tourists. People fly to see the Duomo, enjoy the paintings of Raphael and Caravaggio, freeze enthusiastically before Leonardo's "Last Supper" and then run through boutiques to update their wardrobe for the coming season. Fans of Italian cuisine keep in their collection of useful addresses the names and coordinates of restaurants where the holders of Michelin stars and other prestigious culinary awards are celebrating. But opera fans with the question "Where to go in Milan?" never asked. The legendary Teatro alla Scala welcomes guests, as is customary in good society, "by dress": the dress code in the most famous opera in the world is strictly observed.
Milan parks
The oldest park in Milan was opened to all comers in 1784. At that time it was called the Porta Venezia garden, like the gate located near the entrance. When developing the project, the architect Giuseppe Piermarini relied on French traditions in landscape design. Geometrically correct flower beds and huge straight alleys became the basis of the garden. His followers, expanding the green island in the center of Milan, added artificial hills and lakes framed by rocky cliffs, which more closely resembled the canons of English park art. In 2002, the park was named after Indro Montanelli, a writer and journalist. In the park, you will find the Dunyani family palace, which belonged to the former owners of the land and was built in the 17th century, a planetarium and several eclectic pavilions.
Milan's Sempione Park, built at the end of the 19th century, is no less famous. in the historic center of the city. To create a green zone project and bring it to life, the architect Emilio Alemagni received the territory of the former guardhouse of the Sforza Castle. The Sempione Park is home to the Palace of Arts, which often hosts art exhibitions. Another architectural monument worth seeing in Sempione is the Arch of Peace, erected in 1807 by order of Napoleon, who was planning a victorious entry into Milan.
Religious buildings
The main temple and perhaps the most famous landmark of Milan is located in the city center. The Duomo was founded in the second half of the 14th century. and was under construction for almost 500 years. The building material was white marble, and the architectural style used by the authors of the project is called Flaming Gothic. The Duomo was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Milan's Cathedral is the largest after the Church of St. Peter in the country, the second largest among the Gothic in Europe, and its interior and exterior decoration can compete with the most magnificent architectural structures in the world.
Pilgrims can also go to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reason for such close attention of the foundation, which is engaged in the protection of the greatest monuments of the world, lies not only in the elegant engineering solution of the dome of the temple, its original architecture and the venerable age of the object (the church was built in the 15th century). In the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the fresco by Leonardo "The Last Supper" is preserved - one of the most famous works of art of all times and peoples.
The Sistine Chapel of Milan is called the Temple of San Maurizio. Its walls are covered from the inside with frescoes depicting the lives of the saints and the history of the Passion of Christ. The authors of the frescoes are Bernardino Luini, his sons and students. The temple was built in the 8th-9th centuries, but acquired its present appearance after reconstruction in the 16th century. The church organ deserves special attention: it was made in 1554 and still participates in festivals of ancient church music.
Milan landmarks
The capital of Lombardy is often called a city that is not typical for Italy. Milan looks too hasty, too modern and generally a metropolis, unlike Venice or even Rome. But its rhythm is not able to prevent a true tourist from enjoying a walk along the famous streets and squares, and Milan's sights do not leave indifferent a true connoisseur of art in all its manifestations:
- The Sforza Castle has been decorating the city since the middle of the 15th century. It often reminds the Russian guest of the Moscow Kremlin, because it was its builders who took part in the design of the main Russian attraction. Fans of painting should also visit the castle: one of the best art collections in Milan is located in the museum in Sforza.
- The Ambrosian Gallery was founded in the 17th century. and became the first city museum. Works by Raphael, Leonardo, Titian and Caravaggio are carefully preserved in its halls, and sculptural masterpieces are exhibited in the courtyard. The highlight on the cake for the fair sex is the jewelry of Lucrezia Borgia, represented in many works of art as a symbol of evil and debauchery and who poisoned many representatives of noble families with the help of a ring.
- In the Brera gallery, according to art critics, the largest number of paintings by outstanding masters in the entire Old World is concentrated. You can see paintings by Rubens, Raphael, Caravaggio and Picasso, and in the workshop tourists will be shown the process of restoration of old paintings.
- The Museum of Science and Technology is named after Leonardo da Vinci for a reason. The great artist was ahead of his time, creating many ingenious inventions and leaving hundreds of sketches, over which modern engineers are still racking their brains. The museum is open in the building of an old monastery, and one of the pavilions is completely dedicated to the inventions of Leonardo.
Another attraction can be called the Cathedral Square of Milan, where the Duomo rises and where the facade of the gallery of King Vittorio Emanuele II looks out.
Note to shopaholics
One of the oldest shopping arcades in the world and Europe, the Vittorio Emmanuele II Gallery in Milan is a must-see, even if you're not shopping. The most beautiful building is an outstanding architectural monument and connects Cathedral Square with the opera house square.
The gallery is called the “drawing room of Milan”, because every tourist arriving in the city is sure to find himself under its glass arches. The arcade contains shops of all the most famous cult world brands, a hotel with seven stars on the facade has been opened, and there are many cafes and restaurants, where you should drop in at least for a cup of coffee.
Behind Piazza Duomo begins the quarter called "Fashionable Square". Quadrilatero della Moda is home to prestigious boutiques and showrooms, where prices resemble phone numbers and Hollywood movie stars can be seen at fashion shows.
Simpler shops are located on one of the longest shopping streets in the world - Corso Buenos Aires, where among the designer windows you can find antique shops and even shops with clothes that have already been worn by someone.
The most profitable shopping for an ordinary person is offered by the outlets in Milan. It is best to go there during seasonal sales - after Christmas and in the second half of summer.
Delicious points on the map
Pizza, pasta and ice cream are good everywhere in Italy, but Italian cuisine is such a multifaceted concept that each city has its own culinary specialties and traditions. Milan is no exception, and all tables in good restaurants here are ordered a month in advance. When choosing where to go for dinner, do not neglect the opinion of the locals. According to them, the best places in Milan can be found on this list:
- Seafood and fish are best prepared at Langosteria. You will be offered one of hundreds of wines and champagne to accompany your crab dish. Don't be fooled by the size of the establishment! Each of its hundreds of seats is booked by connoisseurs of Milan gastronomic very well in advance.
- Even a botanical garden will envy the abundance of greenery and flowers in Potafiori. However, earlier in the cafe there was a flower shop, until its owner came up with the idea of putting dining tables for visitors. The flower paradise menu changes every week and dishes are prepared with only seasonal ingredients.
- The glass pavilion on the roof of the Palace of Arts welcomes guests not only with classic Italian dishes, but also with views of the Sforza Castle and the skyscrapers of Porta Nuovo. The landscapes look especially beautiful at sunset.
- Whoever came up with the idea of converting the abandoned barn of an old sawmill into a restaurant, it was a success! Now Carlo e Camilla in Segheria is one of the most iconic places in the city, where all the tables are connected into one big one, the walls are finished with concrete, and magnificent crystal chandeliers are suspended from wooden beams.
If you are promoting vegetarianism or simply focusing on wholesome food, go to 28 Posti. The bistro's austere design is more than offset by a perfect menu, where most of the dishes are suitable for the strictest adherents of healthy eating.
Theatrical program
Even if you do not consider yourself an opera fan, it is still worth going to La Scala! The famous Milan Theater invites visitors to the museum, whose exposition is dedicated to the history of Milan opera.
From the outside, the building looks not too pompous and elegant, but its interiors explain why the dress code is still strictly observed at La Scala. Stucco and gold, crystal and velvet - the opera is as magnificent today as it was more than two centuries ago, when it first opened its doors to audiences in love with music.
Tickets to the famous theater are sold at the box office and special kiosks at the nearest metro station. Their cost starts from 20 euros for a place in the gallery, reaching which, according to people with an ear for music, the sound becomes ideal.
