Discovering Milan

Milan is a singular city.  The urban landscape is not dominated by monuments and works of art, as it is in Venice, Florence or Rome, but by the many faces of the city, which conceal many unique treasures and mysteries.

Milan is famous for fashion, for theatre, for Expo 2015 and the international scope of its trade fairs, such as Milano Design Week and MiArt. However, to discover the city you must know where to look or simply wander around, venturing into the internal courtyards of the private palazzos in the city centre or visiting the numerous historic buildings that are open to the public.

Once Milan was a navigable city, full of canals and waterways (several of which are still uncovered and famous for their nightlife). It was Leonardo Da Vinci, during his long stay in the city, who was responsible for improving the canals with a system of locks, while he worked on dozens of other works, including his famous fresco,   The Last Supper.

Sights to see include the numerous masterpieces preserved in the museums (the Brera Picture Gallery, the Ambrosiano Museum, the Museum of Modern Art) and the wonderful Romanesque churches, such as the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio and the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio (which is said to hold the remains of the three Magi, brought by the Saint from Constantinople).

Every first Sunday of the month, admission to public museums is free, as part of an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Cultural and Environmental Heritage.

It is also advisable to visit the striking gothic structure of the Duomo, the age-old symbol of the city, and pass beneath the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele that leads to the Scala, the temple of opera and symphonic music.

Discover all the cultural opportunities offered under the agreements that the University of Milan stipulates every year.

There are also many possibilities for excursions to the outskirts of the city and to other places in the  Lombardy region.

Milan is not far from Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda, the Alps, the Ligurian Sea and Venice.

Sports enthusiasts can go running in the city parks, visit the sports centres managed by the CUS  (Centro Universitario Sportivo) and the Municipality, or participate in the activities of the   University sports group.

Those who wish to sample Milanese nightlife can partake in the ritual of the aperitif (happy hour) in the city centre or by the Navigli canals, before moving on to the cinema, a club or a concert.

To find out what’s going on in the city on a daily basis you can consult  Vivi Milano, published by the Milanese newspaper Corriere della Sera or  Repubblica Milano, compiled by the Milanese editorial staff of the newspaper La Repubblica.