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Once a capital of the Roman Empire, today Milan is Italy's financial and economic powerhouse. It is the second largest city of Italy with a population of 1.3 million.
Milan is renowned as one of the world capitals of design and fashion. It is famous for its fashion houses and shops and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo (reputed to be the world's oldest shopping mall).
Its prime location in Northern Italy makes traveling around the rest of Europe easy and fast. Or for shorter trips, you can travel only 45 minutes and be immersed in the mountainous countryside. Places of Interest The Duomo. The most outstanding example of Gothic-Lombard architecture, the Duomo dates back to 1300. Built on the wishes of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, this imposing religious building, second only to St Peter's Cathedral in Rome, houses almost 3500 statues that are spread over an area of almost 12,000 square meters. The rooftop of the Duomo offers a magnificent view of the city and on clear days one can see the Alps to the north. Santa Maria delle Grazie. This church was built in the second half of the fifteenth century. It was only completed years later by "il Bramante" on the wishes of Ludovico il Moro. The famous architect designed the wonderful apse, the cloisters and the old sacristy. Leonardo da Vinci painted "The Last Supper" in the refectory, which is one of the most famous works of art ever painted. Navigli. The origins of the Navigli date back to about 1100, but this stretch of water was only made navigable from the Ticino to the center of Milan at the end of the 14th century, to help transport the marble that was needed to build the Duomo. Today the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese (that connects Milan to Pavia) make up one of the most charming places in Milan, with the old, typical "case di ringhiera" houses, antique shops and hundreds of clubs, bars and restaurants standing on each side. Brera. This is one of the most exclusive and fashionable places in Milan, with an atmosphere vaguely reminiscent of Paris, with its artists, open-air coffee shops and sophisticated boutiques. This area, which could be described as "luxury Bohemian" includes Via Brera, Via Solferino, Via Pontaccio, Corso Garibaldi and Corso Como. Alongside it there are many eighteenth century palaces including Palazzo Brera at number 28 Corso Como that houses the famous Pinacoteca. Parco Sempione. This Park stands behind Castello Sforzesco and is the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon in the fresh air. The Park is home to monuments such as the Arena Napoleonica, the Tower designed by Giò Ponti and the Triennale di Milano. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. The gallery with its glass and iron structure was built around 1870 and is called the "salotto di Milano" (The Milan Lounge). It houses old coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and historical bookshops. Events Fashion Shows - from January to March and from September to October.
Milano Moda Uomo (Men's Fashion) autumn/winter (January)
Milano Moda Donna (Women's Fashion) autumn/winter (February - March)
Milano Moda Donna (Women's Fashion) spring/summer (September - October) Triennale di Milano. Set up in 1923, with the intention of being the overview of the decorative arts and modern industries, and to stimulate relations between industry, production sectors and applied arts. The Triennale was soon found to be the mirror of artistic and architectural culture in Italy and one of the largest areas for viewing emerging trends. Fiera degli "Oh bej, oh bej" - December. On December 7th and 8th, during one of the festivities to honor Sant'Ambrogio, the patron saint of the city, the Fiera degli "oh bei, oh bei" is organized around the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio. During these two days there are market stalls of all kinds, some of them similar to the ones from Senigallia, flower stalls and sweet and cake stalls, all full of color that attract and amaze. The name of the fair comes from term that the stall owners used to catch the attention of the people passing by. The Salone del mobile (Furniture fair) - April/May. The Salone del Mobile takes up an exhibition area of more than 255,000 square meters inside the Milan Trade Fair District. Alongside the trade fair, The Salone also promotes important side events, whose main aim is to enhance the role of design and to spread culture, and also to protect our artistic heritage. La Scala Theater - from December to November. Opened in 1778, the La Scala Theater is one of the oldest, most important cultural institutions in Milan. It is still considered to be the temple of opera music today. During the theater season, it is possible to see operas, ballets and concerts. Seria A/Champions League soccer matches - from September to June. Milan is home to two of the most important Italian and European soccer teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Its stadium at San Siro, the Giuseppe Meazza, holds 80.000 seats and sells out regularly during the Serie A, the national league championship, and the UEFA Champions League games. San Siro is also the largest venue for concerts during the late Spring and Summer months.
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