20 interesting places in Milan โ what to see, where to go, photo, description, map
To visit the most interesting places in Milan, it is not enough to come to this amazing country once. First of all, because there are many โsecretโ places in the city, hidden for the inexperienced visitor. Moreover, Milan continues to amaze even connoisseurs with new buildings. They paradoxically combine the past and present of the nation, castles and skyscrapers.
Milan Cathedral
The Duomo Cathedral can be called a classic example of Gothic art. It took more than four hundred centuries to build a masterpiece in the center, from the end of the 14th to the beginning of the 19th century. Despite such a long period, the original version of the project did not change, which is why the cathedral is so organic, and impresses not only with its classical splendor, but also with its interior decoration.
Outwardly, the cathedral expressively conveys the essence of Gothic: 135 marble spiers, directed to the blue sky of Italy, form the characteristic profile of the building, which has become the hallmark of the capital. The highest of them (106 m.) is crowned with a statue of the patroness of the city, Madonna Assunta (4 m.), with open arms and a prayer addressed to the gods for the salvation of the city.
By law, the construction of buildings above the statue is prohibited, but the Italians are quite creative people and find options for how, observing the laws, to realize their large-scale ideas. So, for example, a copy of the statue was installed on one of the skyscrapers and formally the law was observed, although in fact it violates the urban design of the silhouette.
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Returning to the topic of the cathedral, it is worth saying that, in addition to the Madonna, quite interesting bas-reliefs can be seen on the building itself, for example, Mussolini is carved on one of the towers along with King Vittorio Emanuele II.
The interior of the Catholic Cathedral is impressive, capable of accommodating up to 40 thousand parishioners, who can simultaneously accommodate in a white stone basilica, contemplating the magnificence of interior decoration: fundamental columns, sculptures that amaze with their realism, a unique elevator designed by the great Leonardo da Vinci โ there are no trifles, every element is worthy surprise.
Museo del Novecento
This is a real treasure trove of art from the period of the 20th and 21st centuries. Novencento is a young museum, opened in Palazzo dell'Arengario (2010) and stores about 400 masterpieces in its expositions, which are presented to the guests of the museum in chronological order, as visitors move from the first to the highest floor, from where magnificent panoramic windows open views of the square and Milan Cathedral. It is impressive that each of the sights of the city is fraught with a certain detail, style, way of presenting material to guests in their own way, and this does not find analogues both in the city and around the world.
The same can be said about the Novecento Museum, which collects and systematizes the stages of history of the work of world-famous Italian masters of the 20th century. The original works of Matisse, Modigliani, Kandinsky, Picasso are kept here. Even one mention of a number of artists of this level makes you visit this place, if only out of curiosity. A separate place is given to the futurists, including Derpero, Saviniri Boccioni, abstractionists โ Morandi, Melotti and de Chirico.
It will be interesting to come back here to those who have visited this atmospheric place earlier, mobile exhibitions on certain topics are periodically presented here, which change 2-4 times a year. These exhibitions are highly valued by connoisseurs of art and will not leave indifferent all other visitors to the place of concentration of world-class talents.
Gallery of Victor Emmanuel II
Milan is a true shopping paradise. Perhaps one of the most visited places can be called the European shopping gallery named after Vittorio Emanuele II. It connects two historical squares of the cathedral โ the Duomo and the legendary La Scala Opera House. The place is famous not only for branded boutiques, but architecture connoisseurs can find inspiration here, thanks to a thoughtful and sophisticated architectural ensemble.
The Trade Passage is decorated with glass ceilings, with a voluminous dome in the center, which allows natural sunlight to play with reflections on frescoes, mosaics and revive the symbolism of European powers, which is reflected in the interior design of shopping areas. Not only domes and walls are worthy of admiration, under the feet of visitors are real puzzles of the past. Artistic Italian mosaics carry certain meanings, sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden and concealing a legend in their symbolism.
For example, the abbreviation FERT on the coat of arms of the Savoy dynasty means, translated into Russian, โknock, enter, destroy everythingโ (FERT: Frappez, Entrez, Rompez Tout). Or, a fresco traditionally attracting the attention of guests, which depicts a bull, with a legend that is not devoid of humor It is customary to twist on the heel to make a cherished wish come true.Therefore, the poor animal has an eloquent wear on the sacred place as a symbol of the endless desires of tourists.
Peace Arch
This is an architectural monument in the neoclassical style. It is officially opened as marking the end of the period of the Napoleonic Wars. The paradox is that the project was originally conceived (1807) as a tribute to the victory of Napoleon, but the construction that dragged on for a long time radically changed the original plan by the time it was completed in 1838. As a result, the meaning of this historical building in the center was completely opposite meaning โ the Arch of Peace becomes a symbol of the end of the Napoleonic wars.
The equestrian statues of the goddess of victory, located at the very top of the monument, give special splendor to the structure in the form of an Arch with columns. You can โreadโ, if you are well acquainted with history, other symbols, it is like a cascade, on each of the registers of the structure it forms a certain idea. On the pediment there are allegorical images of the river gods, denoting the main rivers of Lombardy, in the middle of the building there are panels dedicated to events significant for the history of the country: the fall of Napoleon and plots of Austrian rule.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology
Opened in the building of an ancient monastery of the late Middle Ages, the National Museum named after Leonardo da Vinci, today has become the repository of the largest collections of technical inventions of the brilliant Italian creator.
Moreover, the museum is special: it allows not only to be surprised at the inventions of the master, but also to enhance the experience through interactive interaction with technical inventions, conducting experiments and observations with their help. One can only guess how exciting it is to use the technique invented by da Vinci himself.
The museum stores more than 15 thousand exhibits of the inventor, provides an opportunity to get acquainted with valuable information collected on the pages of more than 40 thousand books and 50 thousand photos and videos. It will be interesting to visit guests of any age.
Since there is even a special section of the collection โscience for childrenโ, designed for the peculiarities of children's perception of the world. In addition to this feature, all materials are conveniently systematized by areas: transport, engineering, materials, art, energy.
In the museum with an area of โโ50 thousand square meters. m. collected musical instruments and jewelry, watches. A separate floor is dedicated to the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, where more than 7 thousand drawings and operating mechanisms created after his death, based on his engineering developments, are presented. It is difficult to even imagine the scale of the interests of the genius who glorified the country all over the world.
Fountain โWedding Cakeโ
The city surprises with its ability to give the thirsty a chance to make their dreams come true. One such chance is to toss a coin into the Wedding Cake Fountain, which is set against the backdrop of the Sforzesco Castle. You don't have to guess that this is the same fountain: it exactly repeats the shape of the cake, and by the concentration of lovers, in excess of those present next to it, any doubts about the prospect of fulfilling love desires disappear.
According to the stories of the lucky ones who visited the Wedding Cake Fountain during their trip, their lives have changed dramatically, and not only in connection with the meeting of the second half. Someone received a sudden income, someone just became a darling of fate.
However, the proof of the miraculous fountain is its own history. It has been repeatedly restored in history like a phoenix from the ashes, starting from the middle of the last century and being finally restored in 2000, apparently transferring its wonderful energy to all its petitioners.
vertical forest
The city is interesting not only for its past, and now the architects find something to surprise the guests of the city. One of these โnon-miraclesโ is the Bosco Verticale project. Translated into Russian, its name means โVertical Forestโ.
An amazing symbiosis of civilization and ecosystem is presented as a high-rise building with a specially created ecological system, for the implementation of which more than 800 low and tall trees were used. Moreover, the idea is not only to decorate the green landscape, which is scarce for the city center, but also to form a closed ecosystem that affects the quality of the urban environment.
The green array was selected according to certain patterns โ the duration of flowering, plant growth, seasonality and other characteristics that determine the cyclical nature. But even more striking is the fact that it is planned to populate this landscape with the corresponding fauna.
Birds, insects and other representatives of the eco-chain will find comfortable living conditions here. This is the idea of โโthe project as an ecological urban niche that reproduces the natural environment of nature. Construction on it includes the construction of 2 buildings with a height of 80 and 112 meters.
Sforza Castle
A medieval castle is an indispensable attribute of European culture, and there is such a castle in Milan. The construction of the Sforza castle dates back to the 15th century. It was restored on the site of the ducal residence destroyed during the uprising in 1360 and surprisingly resembles the Moscow Kremlin in its appearance. There is an answer to this, since the architectural idea of โโthe Sforza castle later became the prototype for the construction of the Kremlin.
Leonardo da Vinci worked on the design of the Italian Castle. Unfortunately, the results have been preserved in an insignificant amount, but a separate room is reserved for his work today. In addition, Michelangelo's unfinished sculpture has become an undoubted masterpiece of the castle's exposition. It also stores collections of ancient musical instruments, elements of everyday life that belonged to the nobility of the 15th century.
It should be noted that today the Sforza Castle unites the museum group, which includes the Museum of Ancient Egypt, as well as the Museum of the Prehistoric Period, which stores curious artifacts of that time. Therefore, the excursion to the Castle can be significantly expanded, especially since one entrance ticket is provided for visiting all the expositions.
La Scala Theater
La Scala is a household name, it is more than an opera house โ a place of concentration of the world theatrical elite. It is known that premieres gather connoisseurs of opera from all over the world. The Opera House, named after the church on the site of which it was founded, has become synonymous with the highest art of opera.
The building itself is outwardly very modest, built according to the project of Gioseppe Piermarine, has an amazing feature โ it is the acoustics of the hall. Considering that only world-class stars perform on stage, each production is a kind of masterpiece. And it gathers a worthy audience, the aristocratic nobility of society.
A strict dress code is required to visit. The interior of the opera house fully complies with both the level of art and the requirements of the mandatory dress code: everything is permeated with luxury. Gold, velvet, high-society surroundings โ that is, everything that emphasizes the level of grandeur of the place itself and what is happening on the stage and corresponds to the recognition assigned to La Scala as the center of world art.
Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro
Tourist Milan is characterized by places of mass visits and, at the same time, this city has some other dimension โ in depth. A little bit of an inquisitive eye and on an inconspicuous shopping street, right next to the central square and the Duomo, you can find a treasure of the Renaissance. This is the Basilica of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, rebuilt in 1476, which was erected on the site of a temple from the 9th century.
Outwardly, rather ascetic, the building in a non-classical style completely changes the perception when you get inside this sacred place. At one time, the young architect Bramante was invited here to properly decorate the shrine placed on the altar โ the icon of the Virgin and Child. The task was not an easy one, it was necessary to solve an engineering puzzle in the conditions of very strict restrictions on the area. And the brilliant Bramante found such a solution.
It creates an optical illusion of space due to the picturesque design of a small niche, less than a meter deep (95 cm). The effect of the arches gives contemplators of the Mother of God a sense of voluminous space, extending at least 9 meters into the depths of the temple. The Basilica of Santa Maria is an active church, so visiting it will be a good opportunity to get rid of imaginary illusions, listen to the mass and understand that life is multidimensional and does not always fit into traditional measurement systems.
Pirelli Tower
A high-rise building on Piazza Duca d'Aosta, which became a revolutionary engineering solution for Italy in the middle of the last century. The design was tested by the tragic event of 2002, when a private plane crashed into a high-rise building. The office building, 127 meters high, survived, and on the site of the tragedy that claimed the lives of three people, a memorial hall was built, which completely occupied the 26th floor of the building.
From the height of the 32nd floor of the Pirelli Tower, amazing views of the entire city and even the foothills of the Alps open up. However, access to the highest floor, called the Belvedere, is open infrequently and only on public holidays. Another curious fact is that in order to get around the existing ban on high-rise buildings, a copy of the statue of Our Lady was installed on the roof, since building above the Madonna del Duomo is not allowed in Milan.
Pinakoteka Brera
The most famous gallery is the Brera Pinacoteca. It is located on the creative street Brera โ the Italian Montmartre. The collection of the gallery, opened in 1809, is impressive: it contains real masterpieces of European painting of the 15th-17th centuries. Here are the paintings of the great Raphael, Modigliani, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rembrandt. The building itself is not just a beautiful palazzo with a patio, it is an ancient monastery that belonged to the order of the Humilians.
Visiting the Brera Pinacoteca, you can observe the work of restoration masters working behind a glass railing and see the intricacies of the craftsmanship of artists. On the territory of the gallery there is an atmospheric Brera Botanical Garden. A visit to the gallery can turn into an exciting journey into the bohemian life of Italians.
Atellani's house and Leonardo da Vinci's vineyard
Another living secret is the House of Atellani, next to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where the great Leonardo da Vinci lived and wrote his famous โLast Supperโ. This place is hidden from the eyes of tourists and becomes available for visiting on certain days when exhibitions and event celebrations are held. Plazzo attracts both external beauty and interior decoration. Its interior is fully consistent with the spirit of the Renaissance and the historical personalities associated with it.
The house keeps another secret of genius โ Leonardo's vineyard grew in the garden here, from a vine donated by Signor Ludovico Moro Sforza. This is the former owner of the house, which was later transferred to Atellani and preserved in history under his name. Unfortunately, the legendary Leonardo vineyard was destroyed in 1943.
However, thanks to the care of the researchers, after a thorough study of the entire history of the vineyard, the vine of the same variety was planted in 2015 and today it can be seen when visiting Atellani's house in the backyard.
Sempione Park
A real green oasis. Openwork decorated small forms, benches, bridges, gazebos adorn the shady alleys of plane trees. These alleys lead to places no less interesting than the park itself. For example, to the oldest aquarium in Europe. Or to the construction of Torre Branca, from where you can take the elevator to a height of 109 meters for a panoramic view of the city.
Each of the paths of the park is personalized, dedicated to the memory of creative personalities such as Shakespeare, Ibsen, Schiller, Gauthier. There is also an alley of Alexander Pushkin, where you can get through the graceful bridge of little mermaids from the side of Petofi alley. The real highlight of the park is the Palazzo del Arte. World-class exhibitions are constantly held here.
The appearance of the park at the end of the 19th century is due to the fact that between the Sforza Castle and the Arch of Peace, the idea of โโโโwhich was in the design of the triumphal procession of Napoleon, there was a training ground. This plot of land was turned into a blooming oasis, which only emphasized the beauty of iconic places in the historic center of the city.
Triennale Design Museum
This is the first of the design art museums opened in 2007. Previously, exhibitions of design works were updated every three years, which determined its name. Now this is a dynamically changing space that involves its visitors in the exposition, the renewal takes place every year. The Triennale is quite consistent with the Italian approach to understanding the museum โ it is the active involvement of visitors in the theme of the exposition.
For children, special events are held that involve them in the world of transformations. After meeting with the multidimensional world, it's a good idea to taste Italian cuisine in a restaurant located on the site of the Triennale. Classical dishes interpreted in a modern way, like other masterpieces, get a completely new โsoundโ performed by masters of culinary art. At the same time, you have the opportunity to enjoy magnificent views of the city from the panoramic windows of the restaurant.
monumental cemetery
Cimitero Monumentale: the city of the dead, where the great artists found their abode. It was founded in 1866 and looks more like a sculpture gallery. The monuments are so diverse and the ideas that embody the hotel personalities who have found peace here are skillfully conveyed.
The Famedio Chapel at the main entrance keeps the sarcophagus with the relics of the writer Madzon, the urns near the walls are the ashes of the soldiers who died in the First World War. And then โ you can just walk along the paths of the Monumental Cemetery to see how the Italians captured the earthly path of their loved ones and conveyed the idea in creatively executed monuments and tombstones.
Corso Como Street
Pedestrian promenade โ Corso Como, the most active center of city life. All the โmostโ is right here: the best nightclubs, including the eminent Rythmoteque Hollywood, cafes, shops of famous brands (such as the multi-brand store CORSO COMO). Crowds of citizens walking or comfortably seated in the chairs of street cafes โ this is the panorama of Corsso Como.
But this is not just an active recreation area, everything happens against the backdrop of an amazing symbiosis of ancient history and civilization. The street is limited on one side by the city gates of 1810 PORTA NUOVA, and on the other โ by the โNew Milanโ with modern skyscrapers of 2014. This is the special spirit of Italy, which is characterized by the inextricable link between the past and the future, and this past is actively involved in the life of citizens, creating a special flavor and charm of urban culture.
Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa
Built in 1269, in translation the name means the temple of โSt. Bernard on the bones.โ A rather specific object to visit, since the details of the design are the remains of dead people and those previously buried near the church. The custom of creating ossuaries is associated with the need to store human skeletons in order to free the area from old burials as the city borders grow.
The church is an octagonal structure, with marble altars. It preserved frescoes by Ricci with the effect of three-dimensional images, which are visible on the ceiling of the temple. In the chapel of the church, you can also see the sculpture of the Madonna kneeling before the tomb of Jesus Christ. The temple is active and access is open to everyone daily.
Velasca Tower
The first skyscraper in the city resembles an old fort, but its height (110 m) betrays its modern origin. The tower serves as a modern interpretation of the medieval Lombard tower. In the evenings, the walls are beautifully illuminated by the backlight. This is the Velasca Tower: a real symbol of the modern city, and given the Italian tradition of symbiosis of the past and the present, it can serve as the personification of its spirit. However, this is a dubious reputation, given that the Tower has been repeatedly mentioned as an ugly symbol of modern Italy.