Milan Guide

City Guide to Milan

My cousin Francis and I are in perfect accord - he wants Milan, and so do I. Charles V

Roman royalty are not the only ones coveting a city that has been rebuilt three times on the smooth Padan plains of the Po Valley. Milan is a name derived from the Celtic Mediolanum which translates as “mid-plain’. Its geographical location happily lies right in the path of any goods coming over the Alps and it has grown through the centuries, into the centre of the Italian business world. The English word millinery is derived from the name of the city – it originally referred to all things beautiful and handcrafted.

Milan might be the home of the beanbag but this city does not display much interest in slouching. Milan’s San Siro stadium hosts the two premier Italian soccer teams AC Milan and Inter (F.C. Internazionale Milano) and the city is also the axis of the Italian economy, centre of the stock exchange and native habitat for some of the biggest names in global fashion. While the city does not depend on, or overtly court tourism, it has an enormous wealth of culture, history, architecture and entertainment to offer any traveler... And all of that pales in comparison to the serious retail therapy available in Milan.

In August the temperature soars in Milan – the locals flee to the beach and it can be a great time to visit if you can stand the heat. Do be warned though: many shopkeepers close their doors for the entire month!

Cultural highlights of Milan

If the walls decide to end their silence Il Duomo could give up the secrets of 6 centuries of Milanese history – it lies in the middle of the city and all the citizens of Milan contribute to a specific cathedral upkeep tax. From the octagonal underground chamber where St Charles Borromeo lies buried, to the small gilded Madonna looking down at all the marble statues decorating the roof, the world’s third largest gothic cathedral has many stories to tell.

It is not difficult to imagine the strains of the “Slaves Chorus”from Nabucco echo off the walls when you wander through the Museo Teatrale alla Scala (Theatre Museum at La Scala) Verdi might be the best loved composer but Rossini, Puccini and Toscanini also feature prominently. Constructed at the instigation of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria the Teatro ala Scalla is internationally revered as a magnificent opera house.

Milan is packed with treasures. The Castello Sforzesco houses three municipal museums. The Museo d'Arte Antica del Castello Sforzesco (Museum of Historic Art of the Sforza Castle) showcases Michelangelo’s last work the unfinished Pieta Rondanini. Works by Mangegna, Antonello da Messina and Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci are also part of the museum’s collection.

Still standing in spite of a direct hit during WWII the Santa Maria delle Grazie is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” one of the most well known and reproduced religious paintings in the world.

The oldest Milanese museum is the Ambrosian Picture Gallery that has been in existence since 1618. The most illustrious works includes Raffaello’s cartoon for the “School of Athens” fresco; Caravaggio’s “Basket of fruit” and Botticelli’s “Madonna on Bambino e tre angeli”.

It is not however all about history. Modern culture is well represented:

Poldi Pezzoli Museum originated in the 19th century. The private collection of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli and his mother, Rosa Trivulzio includes a large collection of Northern Italian, Netherlandish and Flemish artists.

Versace is housed on four floors of couture on Via Montenapoleone 2. This is also the street to shop for Gucci, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossetti, Etro, Loro Piana, Luis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino, Cartier and Tanino Crisci. Via Sant'Andrea, crosses Via Montenapoleone and is home to Chanel, Fendi, Armani, Moschino, Kenzo, Cesare Paciotti, Hermés, Prada and Trussardi.

Isola has been described as Milans answer to New York’s SoHo! Trendy craft shops and funky bars abound.
San Siro stadium

Do not leave Milan without:

Shopping in the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Quadrilatero della Moda) which includes the top line boutiques and showrooms as well as the more affordable vintage and sales wares.

And doing more shopping in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a passage covered with an arching Belle époque 19th Century glass and cast iron roof. It is the most entertaining way to get from the Duomo to La Scala and some believe this conservatory is the precursor of the modern shopping centre.

Or finally try eccentric at L'Armadio de Laura, Via Voghera 25, where you can find fine bargains.

Daring contemporary art can be viewed in the Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna (Modern Art Gallery). This building used to be Napoleon’s former summer palace.

Naviglio Grande’s medley of old wash houses, canal-side cafés, gelaterie’s and antique fairs held at the weekends offer an insight to the Italian way of life.

Napoleon’s statue by Canova stands in the Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Picture Gallery) courtyard. He opened the gallery and added many of the spoils of war from his Italian campaigns. The Brera houses the Pietá by Bellini and Mantegna as well as Tintoretto’s St Mark, Raphael’s Wedding of the Madonna and works by Piero della Francesca.

Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum) showcases war machines, flying machines and models illustrating the genius of a the great visionary Leonardo da Vinci.

What about food?

This is Italy after all and the joys of food are not a forgotten pleasure in Milan. While tomato is conspicuous in its absence, the "cotoletta alla Milanese"(breaded veal, pork or turkey) continues it battle for originality with the Austrian “Wiener schnitzel”. The traditional feasts echo the fashions as they are ornate, substantial and designed to fulfill. Gorgonzola originates from the town with that name close to Milan and fine grained Milanese salami can be found throughout Italy. Cassoeula, ossobuco, saffron infused risotto alla milanese, busecca and brasato are served for the main meal and sweets include chiacchiere tortelli for Carnival time and colomba at Easter.

Milan by plane…
The biggest airport - Malpensa - is two hours from London, just under a full day from Sydney and only around 50 km northwest of Milan.

The Malpensa Express delivers passengers in comfort and with ease from Terminal One at the airport to Stazione Cadorna.

Linate Airport is even closer to the city and mainly services domestic and short haul international flights.
 
Orio al Serio is close to Bergamo – this is the premier choice for low cost flights.

Milan overland…
Milan boasts five major train stations. High speed train lines are expected to connect Milan to Rome, Naples and Turin.
 
The Regional Railway system links Milan with outer Lombardy and the national railways. There are eight suburban lines that service the metropolitan area.

Within the metropolitan area the ATM (Azienda Transporti Milanesi) provides public transport by train, tram, trolley-bus and bus.

The Milan Metro has three subway lines. The Taxi services are privately owned. The drivers lobby the city to only issue a limited number of licenses, which translates practically into finding it difficult to locate an unused taxi during rush hours, bad weather or for early morning departure to the airports. To avoid disappointment you can pre-book.