Milan Attractions

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Milan's attractions extend far beyond its fame as a fashion capital: there are many museums, churches and galleries to visit, as well as the Milan Aquarium, Planetarium, the Orto Botanico di Brera gardens, and a boat trip on the remaining portion of what once was Milan's extensive canal system, the Navigli, also a hotspot for youthful nightlife. The best time for sightseeing in Milan is spring or autumn, when the weather is warm and sunny.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade is a popular place to relax over coffee, while the Theatre Museum at La Scala may allow for viewing the interior of this world-famous opera house if no practice sessions are ongoing. The 15th-century Sforzesco Castle's Museum of Historic Art is also a major Milan attraction, as is the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana featuring Raphael's life-sized drawing for his "The School of Athens". Also don't miss the Pinacoteca di Brera with its collections of medieval and Renaissance art, the Archaeological Museum showcasing still standing segments of Milan's ancient Roman walls, and the excellent modern art museums including the early 20th century collections exhibited in the historic Arengario on the Piazza del Duomo.

There is also the possibility offered by the "Circuit of Historic House Museums" to "snoop" into four homes - turned into museums - expressing their owners' tastes and lifestyles beginning with the richly evocative Renaissance taste of the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in the fashionable Montenapoleone quarter, passing to the nearby renowned Poldi Pezzoli Museum with its fine collections, to the Necchi Campiglio villa - an architectural gem by Portaluppi of the 1930s - and the Boschi Di Stefano still enlivened by the original modern art collections.

Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral)

The looming Duomo, the world's largest Gothic cathedral, presides over the Milanese Piazza that bears its name. Its construction began in 1386 and continued sporadically until Napoleon ordered its completion in 1809. Its lengthy creation bestowed on it 3,400 statues, 135 spires and 96... see full details

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

This four-storey glass-domed arcade is entered from the Piazza in front of the Cathedral, and extends to the Piazza della Scala. It was originally built as a link to the opera house but has become a fashionable place to hang out, sip coffee... see full details

Theatre Museum at La Scala (Museo Teatrale alla Scala)

This world-famous opera house rests on the site of the Church of Santa Maria alla Scala, its namesake. The Museum provides a wealth of mementos from the opera house dedicated to the nation's beloved composers and performers. These include Rossini, Puccini and Toscanini. Two... see full details

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Located next to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the former monastery's refectory, is Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting The Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano). The fresco depicts the moment of Christ's revelation of the betrayal. Judas hovers to the right of the... see full details

Museo Poldi-Pezzoli

The Museo Poldi-Pezzoli contains a spectacular private collection that was bequeathed by its namesake Poldi Pezzoli to the city in 1879. Numerous masterpieces hang from the walls of the Golden Room, with its vista onto a picturesque garden. Antonio Pollaiolo's Portrait of a Lady,... see full details

Museum of Historic Art of the Sforzesco Castle

The gargantuan Sforzesco Castle, built in the 15th Century, is one of Milan's foremost monuments. It was restored after being bombed in 1943. The vast interior, which is broken here and there by smaller courtyards, contains three museums, the most notable of which is... see full details

Leonardo da Vinci National Science & Technology Museum

Within the Leonardo Gallery of the museum is a collection of Leonardo's ingenious designs, detailing everything from plans for war machines to architectural visions. Applied physics is the focus of another room, in keeping with the museum's tribute to the history of science. A... see full details

The Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery of Modern Art (Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna) is housed in the building which once served at Napoleon's summer palace, and was occupied by the famous Josephine statesman between 1805 and 1814. It is now recognised for its collection of early Modern Art,... see full details

Pinacoteca di Brera

Housing one of Italy's finest collections of medieval and Renaissance art, the 17th-century Pinacoteca di Brera is by far the best collection of northern Italian paintings. Many of the masterpieces here were secured by Napoleon, who used the Palazzo as a storeroom for all... see full details

Orto Botanico di Brera

The Orto Botanico di Brera is a botanical garden located behind the Pinacoteca di Brera in the centre of Milan, and is operated by the Istituto di Fisica Generale Applicata of the University of Milan. The garden was established in 1774 under the... see full details

$Basilica of Sant\'Ambrogio$

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the oldest churches in Milan, built by Bishop Ambrose in 379-386 AD. Located in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions were buried, it was originally called Basilica Martyrum. In 1099 the church was rebuilt... see full details

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