Milan Attractions

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Attractions

Milan attractions extend far beyond its fame as a fashion capital; there are many museums, cathedrals and galleries to visit, as well as the Milan Aquarium and the Orto Botanico di Brera gardens. 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 is a world famous opera house worth visiting. The 15th century Sforzesco Castle's Museum of Historic Art is also a major Milan attraction, as is the Gallery of Modern Art. The Pinacoteca di Brera exhibits collections of medieval and Renaissance art, including the work of Napoleon.

The Santa Maria delle Grazie is home to Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper, and the Leonardo da Vinci National Science & Technology Museum has a collection of his designs for war machines and architecture. Duomo, which is the world's largest Gothic cathedral, and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, built in the 1st century, are landmark Milan attractions.

Duomo (Cathedral)

The looming Duomo, the world's largest Gothic cathedral, presides over the 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 gargoyles.... 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.... see full details

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Located next to the church 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 painting with his hand placed... 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 from 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. ... 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 statesman and Josephine between 1805 and 1814. It is now recognised for its collection of modern art... see full details

Pinacoteca di Brera

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

Milan Aquarium

One of the oldest and largest of its kind in Italy, the Milan aquarium houses 36 gigantic pools filled with more than 100 different species of fish, living in recreated environments ranging from the Amazon to the Mediterranean. The main focus of the... 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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