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 detailsGalleria 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 detailsTheatre 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 detailsSanta 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 detailsMuseo 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 detailsMuseum 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 detailsLeonardo 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 detailsThe 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 detailsPinacoteca 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 detailsMilan 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 detailsOrto 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 detailsBasilica 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...
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