Milan
Travel Guide > Europe > Italy > Milan
Introduction
Milan is located in the north of Italy, not far from the border with Switzerland and is mainly known as a major international fashion city. Apart from this, the city has many cultural monuments to visit, like the Duomo, one of the largest gothic churches in the world. The city has almost 4 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in Italy.
The canal district is one of the best places for outdoor eats and great Italian cuisine!
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a glass covered walking and shopping arcade and is one the northern side of the Piazza Del Duomo. Construction on the arcade was completed in 1877 and it has been a very popular shopping place ever sense. The arcade is home to many high end shops, restaurants and bars. It is also home to the ultra-luxurious Town House Galleria hotel with the most expensive rooms and facilities in all of Milan. The arcade also links several of the main sights in Milan including the Milan Cathedral.
Milan Cathedral
The Milan Cathedral, also known as the Milan Duomo, is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan and took a long time to build. Construction began in 1386 and was not officially done until 1965. This cathedral is the second largest Gothic cathedral in the world and can seat up to 40,000 people. This impressive Cathedral is well worth a visit and has many interesting tombs.
Churches
- Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio - Is one of the oldest churches in Milan, being originally built in the late 4th century. After being reconstructed in 1099 the church gained its present day appearance. The church is home to some good mosaics and the tomb of Emperor Louis II.
- Basilica of Saint Lawrence (Chiesa di San Lorenzo Maggiore) - Founded in the 4th century this basilica was designed in a Byzantine style. The interior was redecorated in the 16th century although the outer structure was not changed at all.
- Santa Maria delle Grazie - This convent is considered one of the most famous churches in Milan and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main claim to fame is the church is home to the famous mural of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Santa Maria presso San Satiro - The church was constructed in 1482 and has many great murals and was built in a Romanesque style.
- Cimitero Monumentale di Milano - This famous cemetery is the final resting place for many well known people in modern history.
Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is an impressive castle built in the 14th century. In 1450 Francesco Sforza reconstructed the castle and it was also modified by future generations. After Italy was unified in the 19th century the castle started to move from military use to civilian use by the city of Milan. The castle was heavily damaged during World War II and was reconstructed for public use after the war. The castle is currently being used by several museums including:
- The Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco - This museum has Michelangelo's last sculpture.
- The Museum of Ancient Art
- The Furniture Musuem
- The Musuem of Musical Instruments and Applied Arts collection
- The Egyptian and Prehsitoric sections of the Archaeological Musuem
- The Achille Bertarelli Print Collection
Other Sights and Activities
- Teatro alla Scala - Is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. The seaon usually starts at this amazing opera house on December 7th and tickets can be very hard to get.
- La Scala Museum - Is a museum that traces the history of the opera houses and holds many good relics. The museum is attached to the opera house.
- Biblioteca Ambrosiana - This historical library houses the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana art gallery, which has many of Leonardo Da Vinci notebooks, manuscripts and drawings. Many consider this place one of the primary repositories of European culture.
- Pinacoteca di Brera - Is an amazing art gallery with a stunning collection with a religious focus.
- Museo Poldi Pezzoli - This art museum has a northern Italian focus.
- Bagatti Valsecchi Museum - Is a not for profit historic house museum with a nice collection of Italian Renaissance art and decorative arts collections. The collection originally belonged to the barons of Bagatti Valsecchi.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting There
By Plane
Malpensa International Airport (MXP) is the main airport servicing Milan and is 45 km way. This airport has over 23.8 million passengers a year. The airport is linked to Milan by a regional rail service that departs from Terminal 1 every half hour and takes about 40 minutes to reach downtown. The airport has connections to all the major cities in Europe. There are also several flights to the Middle East, North America and North Africa every day. These include destinations like Baku, Marrakech and New York to name a few.
Linate Airport (LIN) is the main commuter and domestic airport in the Milan area. There are limited flights to cities in western and northern Europe. The Malpensa and Linate airports are linked by a bus system and takes 40 minutes to get between them.
Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY) is the budget airport for Milan and had over 5.2 million passengers in 2006. One of the main careers is Ryanair. The airport has many flights to all of Europe and limited cities in the Middle East.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
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This is version 16. Last edited at 22:24 on Jun 29, 08 by Lavafalls (-5). 17 articles link to this page.
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