Milan Travel Guide

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City Introduction

Milan is a beautiful city and Italy’s financial dynamo. You will feel an almost central European atmosphere as well as the Italian Mediterranean feeling in the streets and on the squares. The Lombardy capital is also a metropolis with loads of sights, museums, churches, good shopping and much more.

Milan’s history is a history of a strategically well located city on crossing trade routes. Roman ruins and ancient fortresses from the time as the independent capital of Lombardy are some of the interesting things to explore in the city.

Milan’s world famous cathedral is the landmark of the city and a must see for visitors. It is Italy’s largest church and famous for its exterior, which is matched by intriguing interiors. The dimensions and detailed decoration of the church are unforgettable.

In Milan there are also many other churches and other historic buildings worth visiting; and one can see outstanding works of art such as Leonardo da Vincis painting of The Last Supper in the city. There are many art museums as well, and how about attending a football match at the San Siro arena.

Outside of Milan there are both interesting cultural cities and a very beautiful scenery. It is not far to the Alps or to the Mediterranean Sea, and the beautiful lakes of Lake Como and Lake Maggiore are even closer, both surrounded by small cozy and charming towns surrounded by picturesque scenarios.

Top Attractions

Milan Cathedral

  • Milan Cathedral/Duomo: Milan’s five – nave cathedral is a unique sight with all its statues, spiers and details in architecture and in art. It is Italy’s largest church with an impressive interior, and the Holy Nail from Jesus’ crucifixion is kept here.
  • Brera Art Gallery/Pinacoteca di Brera: This is an art gallery that houses one of Italy’s finest art collections with several masterpieces by, among others, Rafael, Andrea Mantegna and Tintoretto.

Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, Milan

  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: This colossal shopping arcade is located in the middle of Milan, and it was built in 1865-1877 and named after Italy’s first king. The fine shops of the arcades are behind the monumental facades and under the beautiful cast iron vaults.
  • Holy Mary of Grace/Santa Maria delle Grazie: This is a church and a Dominican convent complex, which was built by Duke Francesco I Sforza. The church itself is quite worth seeing, but the highlight is Leonardo da Vinci’s work, The Last Supper.

Sforza Castle, Milan

  • Sforza Castle/Castello Sforzesco: Castello Sforzesco is a colossal castle with a moat, walls and a tower in an impressive building complex, built through the 14th and 15th centuries and later expanded into one of Europe’s largest castles. The castle itself and its surroundings are beautiful and there are several museums here.

Other Attractions

Cathedral Square, Milan

  • Cathedral Square/Piazza del Duomo: Piazza del Duomo is the heart of Milan and the best starting point for a trip to the Lombardy capital. Here are many beautiful buildings such as the city’s cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named after the king, of which you can see an equestrian statue in Piazza del Duomo.
  • The Royal Palace/Palazzo Reale: This elegant palace has had several purposes over time. In the Middle Ages, it was the seat of city government, and later it was used as the residence of the Dukes of Milan. Today it is open as a museum.

Palazzo Ragione, Milan

  • Market Square/Piazza dei Mercanti: Piazza dei Mercanti was the medieval center of Milan and the setting for a number of beautiful buildings. You can i.a. see Palazzo della Ragione with its 13th-century archways and 14th-century Loggia degli Osii.
  • Poldi Pezzoli Square/Museo Poldi Pezzoli: Museo Poldi Pezzoli has one of Milan’s finest exhibitions of works of art and various historical articles. The museum building is a former noble city palace and you can see many paintings here.

La Scala, Milan

  • Scala Theater/Teatro alla Scala: Teatro alla Scala or simply La Scala is one of the most famous opera and ballet houses in the world. Countless stars have performed here over the past centuries and you can continue to enjoy beautiful plays in the beautiful setting.
  • St Ambrose Basilica/Basilica Sant’Ambrogio: This is one of Milan’s oldest churches. The style is Lombard-Romanesque, and the church was completed in the year 1099. Remember to see the tomb of Emperor Ludovico II from the year 875 in the church.

Arco della Pace, Milan

  • Arch of Peace/Arco della Pace: The arch of Arco della Pace stands at the end of the green area called Parco Sempione. Originally, the arch was intended as a monument to Napoleon’s victories, but it was completed as a symbol of peace in Europe.
  • Corso Sempione: Corso Sempione is a street that starts from the arch of Arco della Pace and the castle of Castello Sforzesco. It was laid out under Napoleon’s rule as a Milanese version of the French Champs Elysées, and here you can enjoy a lovely stroll.

San Lorenzo Basilica, Milan

  • St Lawrence Great Basilica/Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore: This basilica was founded around the year 370 and was thus a historic early church. Inside there is a large church interior with, among other things, fine chapel mosaics and ceiling paintings. In front of the church you can see a colonnade of ancient Roman columns. They were moved here in the 300s.
  • Archaeological Museum/Museo Archeologico: The Archaeological Museum of Milan exhibits various interesting things from the past. In urban history, for example, it is a good idea to see an exhibition from Roman Milan, Mediolanum.

Day Trips

Bergamo, Italy

  • Bergamo: Charming Bergamo is a town with an old medieval quarter, beautifully situated on a hilltop above the modern districts. From Bergamo Alta there is a beautiful view, and the district’s narrow streets and fine squares almost invite for lovely walks. One of the highlights is the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
  • Verona: Verona was one of the important cities of the Roman Empire, and that period has left its clear mark on the city. Thus, there are many ruins to see, and the most famous is the arena that is still used. Julie’s house from Romeo and Juliet is another of the city’s popular sights.

Bellagio, Italy

  • Lake Como/Lago di Como: The great lakes north of Milan are stunningly beautiful with their location between the Po Valley and the Alps. Lago di Como is the closest lake to Milan and it offers beautiful nature, varied sights and cozy towns such as Bellagio and Cernobbio.
  • Lugano: Swiss Lugano is beautifully located on the lake of the same name and to the south in Switzerland. The city is the largest Italian-speaking city outside Italy, and it offers an elegant city center with promenades along the lake.

Shopping

  • Coin, Piazza 5 Giornate 1A, Piazzale Loreto 16, Corso Vercelli 30-32, Piazza Cantore 12, www.coin.it
  • D Magazine Outlet, Via Montenapoleone 26, www.dmagazine.it
  • Fiordaliso, Via Curiel, Rozzano, www.fiordaliso.net
  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza del Duomo
  • Marni Outlet, Via Tajani Filippo 1, www.marni-international.com
  • Rinascente, Piazza Duomo, Viale Certosa, www.rinascente.it
  • Shopping streets: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea, Via Manzoni, Via Borgospesso, Via Santo Spirito, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Aires, Via Torino, Corso di Porta Ticinese

With Kids

Practical Links

City History

Celtic and Roman origins
The Milan region has been inhabited for millennia, but only since the Celts around 400 BC. settled in the Po River area, began a lasting development of what has become today Milan.

The Romans defeated the Celts in 222 BC, and the now former Celtic settlement was christened by the Romans Mediolanum, referring to its location in the middle of the plain.

Mediolanum quickly became important in the Roman Empire as an important link between Rome and northwestern Europe, where part of the kingdom’s expansion took place.

Milan became increasingly integrated into the Roman Empire, and after centuries of positive development, the city in 286 was made the capital of the Western Roman Empire by Emperor Diocletian, who himself settled in Nicomedia in the Eastern Roman Empire.

Roman greatness and fall
In July 285, Emperor Diocletian Maximian proclaimed a new co-emperor, and his administration ruled the West Roman Empire from Milan. Maximian was a war emperor whose own residence was in Trier, but he had a number of large buildings erected in the new capital.

Thus Milan got a big Circus with Rome as a model, large bathing facilities and a number of palace complexes. The dimensions were impressive; especially the Circus, which measured 470 × 85 meters in ground level.

Milan grew and was after Rome’s most important city in Western Europe. In 313, Constantine I turned Christianity into official religion, and the city’s religious and cultural influence grew considerably. The church gained significantly greater political power these years.

However, it would not take many years for Milan’s Roman growth to stop. When the West Goths besieged the city in 402, the imperial residence and thus much of the government administration was moved to Ravenna. In 452, the females stormed the city, and 24 years later the power changed with the fall of the West Roman Empire in 476.

The Roots of Lombardy
The fall of the kingdom meant times of decline for Milan, which was no longer the capital, and it was regularly attacked from the north by the Goths, among others. Milan allied with the Goths’ enemies in the Byzans and lost.

The Goths ravaged the city and its population in 539, and Milan had to start all over again. Byzans, however, conquered the city and the area back from the Goths in 568, but after a short time the Germanic longobards took over the city. The Longobards are the ones who came to signify and name the northern Italian region of Lombardy.

There was no major reconstruction of the city during those years, with some of the Roman structures still in use.

In 774, the Franks conquered Milan, and the French king Karl the Great gave himself the title of King of Lombardy. With the Franks and Charlemagne, Milan became part of the German-Roman Empire, creating stability and new development.

Increased trade and a larger grocery stand emerged, creating the foundation for Milan’s continued growth. Milan became the city state in 1042, and the city again became the focal point of the region.

New Enemies
As a city-state, Milan was far from alien, and by external enemies it was now the German-Roman Empire and Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa that Milan had to defend against. In 1162, Barbarossa defeated Milan, and the city was again completely destroyed.

Following the defeat, the Lombardy League formed in 1167 with Milan at the forefront. Barbarossa was now defeated by the Lombard League, and subsequently the league’s city states regained their partial independence.

With the peace in Konstanz in 1183 between Frederick I Barbarossa and the Lombard League, the peace in Venice from 1177 was confirmed. Here, among other things, the emperor had to recognize Milan and other cities’ far-reaching independence in the empire, and from 1183 it was continued in the form of the continuation of the Lombard League and self-determination in the cities; merely formally still as part of the German-Roman Empire. Milan was granted the status of a duchy.

Growth and art
From the middle of the 13th century and several centuries on, Milan was ruled by wealthy families; Torriani, Visconti and Sforza. The families erected as large monuments and buildings, and they brought leading artists and architects to the city. The culture flourished and, together with Florence, was a leader in northern Italy.

The ruling families actively supported arts, culture and development; especially during Milan’s reign of Lodovico Sforza in the late 1400s. Among other things, this brought Leonardo da Vinci’s work to Milan.

In the years Lodovico Sforza’s time after, Milan and the Italian area experienced a downturn. The other major powers in Europe had become stronger and the city was constantly attacked. Thus, in 1525, Milan became a province in the Spanish Empire of Charles V, with François I being defeated at the Battle of Pavia. Milan’s time under Habsburg leadership had now begun.

Spanish, French and Austrian rule
The Spanish government built defenses around Milan, and in the fortified city the population increased initially. However, the economy later stagnated and when the city was hit by a plague epidemic 1629-1631 the economy deteriorated sharply and the population was halved.

In 1556, Karl V had abdicated in favor of his brother who became regent in the German-Roman Empire and his son Philip II, who formed the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs under which Milan had come.

With the death of Karl II in 1700, the Spanish line of the Habsburgs became extinct, and the following year the Spanish War of Succession was triggered. There was a French claim to the Spanish throne, and at the same time Austria expanded, which, with the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, could annex the Spanish possessions in Northern Italy; including Lombardy and Milan.

With the Austrians, Milan recovered, and especially in the cultural sphere, this happened quickly. It continued until Napoleon and thus France invaded the city in 1796.

Napoleon and the 19th Century
Under Napoleon, Milan became the capital of the Cisalpine Republic, and in 1804 Napoleon settled in the city’s cathedral in the newly created Kingdom of Italy. After Napoleon’s fall, Milan returned to Austrian rule until 1859.

In 1848, Milan rebelled against Austrian rule, and during the so-called Five Days, Field Marshal Radetzky was forced to withdraw his troops from the city. Although Austria and Radetzky, after a few months, defeated the northern Italians and thus were able to regain the city and the area, the road to Italian unification and independence was paved.

An alliance between the Kingdom of Sardinia and France defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Solferino in 1859, making Milan and Lombardy a part of the Italian Kingdom of Sardinia, which eventually gained control of most of the peninsula. In 1861 the kingdom was renamed and established as the Kingdom of Italy.

Austria had left a city in development with a good infrastructure. This development continued in the Italian city again, and it became the economic center of the country. The city’s population increased dramatically with industrialization, and the city expanded with many railway buildings to the region and the surrounding area.

Internationally, Milan became more closely linked to the areas north of the Alps with the opening of the Sankt Gotthard Tunnel in 1881, and it merely helped to manifest the city as the region’s leader.

In 1898, strikes were fought in Milan in protest with, among other things, rising prices and food shortages. The strike developed into a massacre in which more than 100 were killed as army units were deployed to restore calm in the city.

20th Century to Today
For many years Benito Mussolini was Italy’s leader and his movement was started in Milan, where the t-shirts were organized. Mussolini’s first public meeting took place in 1919 at Piazza San Sepolcro. In 1922, Mussolini’s fascist march against Rome took place in Milan.

During World War II, Milan was heavily bombed because of a large industry, and Benito Mussolini was liquidated in the city in 1945.

After the war, the further industrialization started again in Milan’s development and the Lombardy capital was rebuilt. Both the city and the Lombardy region became some of Europe’s leading and wealthiest – which they still remain today as the economic locomotive in Italy.

In 2010, Milan was designated as the home of the upcoming World Expo 2015 exhibition, which has brought new projects and construction to the city.

Geolocation

In short

Overview of Milan

Milan is a beautiful city and Italy’s financial dynamo. You will feel an almost central European atmosphere as well as the Italian Mediterranean feeling in the streets and on the squares. The Lombardy capital is also a metropolis with loads of sights, museums, churches, good shopping and much more.

 

Milan’s history is a history of a strategically well located city on crossing trade routes. Roman ruins and ancient fortresses from the time as the independent capital of Lombardy are some of the interesting things to explore in the city.

 

About the upcoming Milan travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Milan travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Italian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Milan is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Milan and Italy

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Milan you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Duomo • Castello Sforzesco • The Last Supper • Arcades • La Scala

Overview of Milan

Milan is a beautiful city and Italy’s financial dynamo. You will feel an almost central European atmosphere as well as the Italian Mediterranean feeling in the streets and on the squares. The Lombardy capital is also a metropolis with loads of sights, museums, churches, good shopping and much more.

 

Milan’s history is a history of a strategically well located city on crossing trade routes. Roman ruins and ancient fortresses from the time as the independent capital of Lombardy are some of the interesting things to explore in the city.

 

About the upcoming Milan travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Milan travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Italian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Milan is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Milan and Italy

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Milan you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Other Attractions

Cathedral Square, Milan

  • Cathedral Square/Piazza del Duomo: Piazza del Duomo is the heart of Milan and the best starting point for a trip to the Lombardy capital. Here are many beautiful buildings such as the city’s cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named after the king, of which you can see an equestrian statue in Piazza del Duomo.
  • The Royal Palace/Palazzo Reale: This elegant palace has had several purposes over time. In the Middle Ages, it was the seat of city government, and later it was used as the residence of the Dukes of Milan. Today it is open as a museum.

Palazzo Ragione, Milan

  • Market Square/Piazza dei Mercanti: Piazza dei Mercanti was the medieval center of Milan and the setting for a number of beautiful buildings. You can i.a. see Palazzo della Ragione with its 13th-century archways and 14th-century Loggia degli Osii.
  • Poldi Pezzoli Square/Museo Poldi Pezzoli: Museo Poldi Pezzoli has one of Milan’s finest exhibitions of works of art and various historical articles. The museum building is a former noble city palace and you can see many paintings here.

La Scala, Milan

  • Scala Theater/Teatro alla Scala: Teatro alla Scala or simply La Scala is one of the most famous opera and ballet houses in the world. Countless stars have performed here over the past centuries and you can continue to enjoy beautiful plays in the beautiful setting.
  • St Ambrose Basilica/Basilica Sant’Ambrogio: This is one of Milan’s oldest churches. The style is Lombard-Romanesque, and the church was completed in the year 1099. Remember to see the tomb of Emperor Ludovico II from the year 875 in the church.

Arco della Pace, Milan

  • Arch of Peace/Arco della Pace: The arch of Arco della Pace stands at the end of the green area called Parco Sempione. Originally, the arch was intended as a monument to Napoleon’s victories, but it was completed as a symbol of peace in Europe.
  • Corso Sempione: Corso Sempione is a street that starts from the arch of Arco della Pace and the castle of Castello Sforzesco. It was laid out under Napoleon’s rule as a Milanese version of the French Champs Elysées, and here you can enjoy a lovely stroll.

San Lorenzo Basilica, Milan

  • St Lawrence Great Basilica/Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore: This basilica was founded around the year 370 and was thus a historic early church. Inside there is a large church interior with, among other things, fine chapel mosaics and ceiling paintings. In front of the church you can see a colonnade of ancient Roman columns. They were moved here in the 300s.
  • Archaeological Museum/Museo Archeologico: The Archaeological Museum of Milan exhibits various interesting things from the past. In urban history, for example, it is a good idea to see an exhibition from Roman Milan, Mediolanum.

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