Milano Things to Do

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This is the third largest cathedral in the world, and it can hold 75,000 people if they are standing. It took over 500 years to build it. The Boromilo family donated the marble from their quarries. There are 126 stained glass windows illustrating stories from the bible.

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Construction started in the 14th Century, but it was reconstructed and expanded over the centuries. It used to have a moat and a star-shaped wall but little remains of it. Leonardo da Vinci worked for the Sforza family as an engineer, and he had some input into the design of the castle. He is said to have lived in the tower at the front.

The castle currently houses 6 museums. The best known is the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, with an art collection which includes Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, The Castello complex also includes The Museum of Ancient Art, The Furniture Museum, The Museum of Musical Instruments and the Applied Arts Collection, The Egyptian and Prehistoric sections of the Archaeological Museum and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection.

Hours: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. (7-7 in the summer)
Admission to the grounds is free; Museum admission is 3 Euro (7 Euro for a 3-day pass)
The Museums are closed Monday. (I’m not sure about the castle grounds.)

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The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a covered double arcade located on the northern side of the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and connects to the Piazza della Scala. It was named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy, and was originally designed in 1861 and built by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.

The four-story arcade includes elegant shops selling most things from haute couture and jewelry to books and paintings, as well as restaurants, cafés, and bars (e.g., including Prada, Massimo Dutti, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, as well as fast food outlets such as McDonald's). Also near this arcade is a statue dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.

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We actually made two trips to the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) with the 2nd visit being the time we actually went into the Duomo di Milano. Wow, amazing, unreal, spiritual and historical are just some of the emotions we felt as we walked within these ancient walls of the Milan Cathedral which took nearly six centuries to complete. Its free admission to walk into the church but security is tight. I do believe that you can take an elevator to the roof, but due to our time constraints we didn't do this.

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After visiting Castello Sforzesco, our next stop was the Santa Maria delle Grazie Monastery to see the 15th century mural painting The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo or L'Ultima Cena) created by Leonardo da Vinci. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the painting is in the refectory of the convent. Knowing how popular this tourist attraction is and due to the fact that a limited number of people are allowed in at one time, we purchased our tickets 2 months in advance based on the advice of fellow VT members.

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Since we had just arrived in Milan that morning, we decided to get settled into our hotel room and rest for a few hours. Refreshed and ready to get going, we got our directions from the concierge and headed out to explore the sites. One of the places we wanted to see was the Castello Sforzesco. It's a castle that used to be the seat and residence of the Duchy of Milan and one of the biggest citadels in Europe and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections.

Also located behind Castello Sforzesco & and Piazza Sempione is Parco Sempione. It's Milan's 116 acre urban park where locals and tourist can can enjoy formal gardens, monuments, fountains and a great view of the Arco della Pace (designed by Luigi Cagnola to hail Napoleon's entry into Milan).

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I was lucky enaugh to go to Milano during a rare day of bright blue sky weather. I went to Milano several times before for work and I almost always found it foggy or hazy so it was a reat treat.
If you are as lucky do not miss to go visit the top of the Duomo! The view was amazing but, what was more interesting, was the possibility to look close to the thousands of spikes, gargoiles and decorations and to get a pretty good idea about how the church is build.
There is two way to visit, by foot (5 euros entrance) or using a elevator (7 euros). I want to alert you that, even if you choose the elevator, you will still have to climb a steep stair to arrive to the very top. This stair is safe but I would not reccomend it to people that fear the height. You can see it in the 2nd picture of this tip.
You can also book your visit online on the site I give below.

Il Quadrilatero della Moda (the quadrilateral of fashion): Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga, Via Montenapoleone and Cso Vittorio Emanuele.

here is where the most well known brands are, Montenapoleone and Spiga (and small adjacent roads lik Via Sant'Andrea) house the top fashion houses' boutiques. You can get your Gucci, Fendi, Trussardi, Pucci, Versace, Armani, and any other Italian (and foreign ) big name designers here. Corso Vittorio Emanuele has pronto moda (ready to wear) big names. here you will find Zara, H&M, The Body Shop, Foot Locker, Max & Co., Benetton, and more international brands. SKIP shopping in these, because its the same stuff you can get at home, and even if its a little cheaper here (doubtful if you are in a country with the Euro, less if you are in the US), its not worth wasting your time. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele links the two areas, it houses everything from a Prada Store to a Mc Donalds. Aside from shopping, take a look at the architecture. Don't forget to twirl on the bull's testicles. Yes, you read correctly, put your heel on the bull's testicles and twirl three times. Its a tradition that ensures you will come back to Milan.