About Milan

Milan, the capital of Lombardy, has a population of 1.3 million people, going up to 5.280.000 considering the Milan Metropolitan Area (province-level municipality area).

It is the biggest industrial city of Italy, with many different industrial sectors. It is a magnetic point for designers, artists, photographers and models. Milan has an ancient city centre with high and interesting buildings and palazzos, which is why so many people from all over the world want to see the city of glamour.

The Duomo of Milan is overall made of marble, with immense statues, arches, pillars, pinnacles. From the roof you can experience a beautiful panorama of the city.

Since 10 years and thanks to the EXPO 2015 experience, the City renovated many district, developing some skylines area and new business and social life neighborhood

Some historical references

Milan’s origin goes back to 400 B.C., when Gauls settled and defeated the Etruscans.
In 222 B.C. the city was conquered by Romans and was annexed to the Roman Empire. After 313 A.D., the year of the Edict of Tolerance towards Christianity, many churches were built, and the first bishop was appointed: Ambrogio was such an influential person that the church became the Ambrosian Church (7 December is a holiday to honour Sant’Ambrogio). In 1300 the Visconti family which are noblemen from Bergamo, Cremona, Piacenza, Brescia and Parma ruled and brought a period of glory and wealth to the city. The Duomo was built in 1386 and became the symbol of Milan.

The Sforza family assumed the Castle and the power of the Visconti family and finally Milan achieved peace after many years of war against Venice and Florence. Under the Sforza duchy the city began the development of sciences, art and literature.

Ludovico il Moro (Ludovico Sforza) called Leonardo da Vinci and “Il Bramante” to his court

Economy

Milan is the centre of many financial businesses, and its so called ‘hinterland’ is an avant-garde industrial area.

Fiera Milano, the city’s Exhibition Center and Trade Fair complex is one of the most important in the world. The

new fairground, in the north-western suburb of Pero and Rho (opened in April 2005) is Europe’s largest open

construction project and makes Fiera Milano the largest trade fair complex in the world.

Milan hosted the last Expo, in 2015, registering more than 20 million visitors from May to October 2015.

It is the biggest industrial city of Italy with many different industrial sectors as manufacturing of textiles and garments, car manufactory, chemistry, mechanical tools and heavy machinery. Another important industry is tourism and of course fashion.

Weather and climate

Milan, Italy is at 45°26’N, 9°16’E, 103 m (338 ft)

Its climate is typically Mediterranean. Milan is lucky that the mountains to the north shield the city from the worst of the Arctic chills, but there is the occasional cold weather. In summer Milan is troubled by heat waves. August drives many locals out of town because of the heat.

However, the mean number of days with precipitation per year is one of the lowest in Europe.

The city is often shrouded in heavy fog, although the removal of rice paddies from the southern neighbourhoods and the urban heat island effect have reduced this occurrence in recent decades.

Average weather in January

January, in Milan, Italy, is a cold winter month, with average temperature ranging between

min -0.9°C (30.4°F) and max 5.9°C (42.6°F).

In Milan, during January, the rain falls regularly, and it is the month where the sun is shining the least also if you may have some very clear and enjoyable days.

How to get to Milan

By Plane

Milan is very well connected to the major cities in Europe and worldwide thanks its airports:
– Malpensa airport, Milan international airport
– Linate airport, mainly national and European flights
– Bergamo Orio al Serio airport, main hub for low-cost airlines

By Train

Milan is also easy to reach by train thanks to the extensive railway networks of Trenitalia, connecting the city to other major Italian cities as well as European metropolis including Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna and more.

Milan, together with Rome, is the biggest high speed train hub for Italy
Milan main Train Station:

  • Milan Central Station (Milano Centrale) – international and national connection
  • Ferrovie Nord Cadorna Station – regional station
  • Milano P.ta Garibaldi – national and international station (TGV connections for France)

Milan Centrale, Milano Cadorna, Milano P.ta Garibaldi and Milano Nord Bovisa are the main stations for the Malpensa Direct Speed Train. This train connect the city directly with the Milan International Aiport (45-60 minutes trip). PLease note that all the Milan Aiport have a direct bus starting from Milano Centrale station.

By Car

Main highways serving Milan:

  • A1 (Autostrada del Sole) going south to Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples
  • A4 Westbound, to Turin, the Alps and France
  • A4 Eastbound, to Verona, Padua, Venice, Trieste and Slovenia
  • A7, to Genoa, the Ligurian Riviera, the renowned Cinque Terre and south of France Côte d’Azur
  • A8 (Autostrada dei Laghi), to Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lugano lake and Switzerland
  • A9, to Switzerland

By taxi (to Rho Fiera)

  • From Malpensa airport: 1 Hour running – Fixed Rate at 80 Euro
  • From Linate airport: 30 minutes running – Fixed Rate 60 Euro
  • From Orio al Serio airport: 1 Hour running – Rate 110 Euro approximately

To reserve a taxi, contact one of the services provided at:

  • Radio Taxi : +39 02 6969
  • Taxi Blu : +39 02 4040
  • Autoradiotassi 8585: +39 02 8585

Getting Around Milan

Types of Public Transportation in Milan

As long as you are not renting a car in Milan (and really, there’s not much reason to rent a car in any of Italy’s big cities), that leaves you with three major forms of public transit.

  • Metro – Like many big cities around the world, Milan has a subway system. It’s not as huge or extensive as the subways in Paris, London, or New York, but the four lines serve almost all the tourist stops in the city (as well as plenty of other places besides).

You can calculate the best journey by public transportation by clicking on the website http://giromilano.atm.it/#/home/

  • Tram – The other main rail-based transport in Milan is the city’s network of trams. There are more tram lines than subway lines, and depending on where you are in the city these can be really convenient to get where you’re going.
  • Bus – Milan’s buses cover many of the same areas that the Metro and trams do, but they also go a bit further afield than those other two transportation methods.

Currency

The EURO is the official currency in Milan and is available in seven different bills and eight separate coins

What to do and what to see in Milan – Top 10

1. Duomo Cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

The piazza, looking roughly north-east to the Duomo (on the right) and the arch that marks the entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (on the left)

Piazza del Duomo (“Cathedral Square”) is the main piazza (city square) of Milan, Italy. It is named after, and dominated by, the Milan Cathedral(the Duomo). The piazza marks the center of the city, both in a geographic sense and because of its importance from an artistic, cultural, and social point of view. Rectangular, with an overall area of 17,000 m2 (about 183,000 sq ft), the piazza includes some of the most important buildings of Milan (and Italy in general), as well some of the most prestigious commercial activities, and it is by far the foremost tourist attraction of the city.

While the piazza was originally created in the 14th century and has been gradually developing ever since (along with the Duomo, that took about six centuries to complete), its overall plan, in its current form, is largely due to architect Giuseppe Mengoni, and dates back to the second half of the 19th century. The monumental buildings that mark its sides, with the main exception of the Duomo itself and the Royal Palace, were introduced by Mengoni’s design; the most notable of Mengoni’s addition to the piazza is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade.

2. Sforza Castle

Sforza Castle (Italian: Castello Sforzesco) is in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Extensively rebuilt by Luca Beltrami in 1891–1905, it now houses several of the city’s museums and art collections.

3. The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)

The Last Supper or L’Ultima Cena is a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci housed by the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. It is one of the world’s most recognizable paintings.

The work is presumed to have been started around 1495–96 and was commissioned as part of a plan of renovations to the church and its convent buildings by Leonardo’s patron Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John .

Leonardo has depicted the consternation that occurred among the Twelve Disciples when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him.

Due to the methods used, a variety of environmental factors, and intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999.

4. Get some culture at the Teatro alla Scala

Typically Milanese, the discreet, neo-classical façade of Teatro alla Scala, the world’s most famous opera house, belies its opulent interior – featuring acres of red velvet and gilded balconies. Tickets to world-class opera and ballet performances aren’t as hard to get hold of as you’d think if you’re prepared to be flexible about seating. Look out for a superb programme of popular operas throughout 2015, under new musical director Riccardo Chailly.

5. Sant’Ambrogio Basilica

Milan’s fourth century father Saint Ambrose, the most famous Milanese archbishop, converted and baptised the influential Saint Augustine (in the Duomo). Ambrose is the city’s patron saint and has his own basilica which is another definite must-see in Milan, both for its very old and original architectural elements (façade, atrium, column capitals, bell towers), but also for the artwork inside: Volvinius altar, choir, sarcophagus of Stilichone and mosaics. There is also a museum and a treasury.

6. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Pinacoteca di Brera and Museo del Novecento

It’s not just Florence that has the famous Italian Renaissance paintings: Milan has two large collections as well. Near the Scala opera theatre, you’ll find the Brera Pinacoteca offering a large collection of works by the likes of Mantegna, Raphael, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio, Bellini, Canaletto, Tintoretto and many more. The gallery’s website is all in Italian but offers a virtual view of what there is on display, and there are multilingual audio guides available. For the Ambrosiana art gallery (also near the Duomo) it’s wise to book tickets in advance online. Here you’ll find works on display from Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Brueghel, Titian, Caravaggio and Raphael, plus an interesting library with the Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo and a Virgilius manuscript.

To the right of the Duomo, facing the cathedral, are the beautifully restored twin Arengario buildings, one of which houses the new Novecento art museum. The museum houses many of the masterpieces of Italian twentieth century Modern art, like the impressive Quarto Stato painting of Pellizza di Volpeda (striking workers at the turn of the century – you’ll probably recognize it when you see it) and the famous Unique Forms of Continuity in Space statue by Boccioni (imagine a bronze Transformer). This piece is also displayed on the reverse side of the Italian 20 cents Euro coin. Top tip: if you enter one or two hours before closing, your visit is free, otherwise admission is €5. Head straight for the top floor of the building: it’s one of the best places in Milan to take in a magnificent view of the Duomo and square, especially after sunset.

7. Day trip: Pavia and Oltrepò Pavese and Navigate the Navigli waterways

If you’re looking for top notch places to eat in Milan on a Sunday night, then you could be out of luck; most of the better restaurants are closed on Sundays. But instead of going to one of the very few that are open, or one of a lesser quality, turn that frown upside down and discover part of Milan’s hinterland. A real tradition in the Italian countryside is the Sunday lunch, or pranzo della domenica, during which whole families eat and chat together for hours in one of the many _agriturismo, _or farmhouse style brasserie. The Oltrepò Pavese wine region, just 50 km south of Milan, offers an excellent choice of such traditional restaurants – try the fabulous local wines while taking in magnificent vineyard vistas at the likes of Trattoria Quaglini in the village of Schizzola. You can reach the area in less than an hour from Milan and on the way visit one of Lombardy’s main treasures, the Certosa di Pavia monastery (free entry, closed over lunch time). On your way back from lunch, stop for a stroll around the laid-back historical city of Pavia.

8. Shop in style at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele or in the Golden Rectangle

With its glass-and-iron dome, magnificent mosaics and marble floorways, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele arcade is definitely one of the world’s most glamorous (and oldest – it was built in 1867) shopping malls. Among its claims to fame is the planet’s first-ever Prada store, here since 1913. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Armani – and most recently, Versace – all have a presence, but most visitors come to spin their heels in the famous bull’s testicles, part of a floor mosaic it’s said to bring good luck.

Purveying hot-off-the-catwalk clothes by the likes of Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace, it’s little wonder that Milan’s upscale fashion shopping district is known as the Quadrilatero della Moda – the Rectangle of Gold. The merchandise at most of the area’s shops is most definitely not for those on a budget, though you can always poke your noses into DMagazine Outlet, a discount fashion shop on via Manzoni, or simply enjoy a spot of window shopping, whilst clocking the well-dressed fauna that inhabits these style-conscious streets.

9. Gai Aulenti Square

A new designed piazza in the heart of Milan opened to large crowds and rave in December 2012. This landmark new square is named after Gae Aulenti, the late Italian architect of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and sits at the heart of the Porta Nuova Garibaldi development adjacent toMilan’s main train station.

Visiting this square, you’ll have access to the new business and skyline district of the city, renovated in occasion of EXPO 2015

In the same area you can have a stop in Corso Como and nearby street, where the Italian Fashion world has its headquarter.

10. Eat by travelling on a Tram

If you want to take a more unusual Milan sightseeing tour, try the ATMosfera restaurant tram: dining in a classical tram while riding through the city. Book at the ATM website https://atmosfera.atm.it/ .

Restaurants

One of the main reasons to visit Milan, or Italy in general is to enjoy its magnificent culinary culture. So if you are in Milan, forget about fast food and avoid the touristy restaurants. You can still find some authentic and good value eats, close to the main Milan attractions.

Via Terraggio 11 – 20123 Milan – 15 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes by metro

The restaurant Acqua di Mare is located in the heart of Milan, in via Terraggio. rustic setting characterized by a rapid service to tables. It offers mainly specialties of classic Italian sea fish dishes with a contemporary twist.

  • Al Mercante, lovely outside terrace, right next to Piazza del Duomo – 10 minutes walking distance

Piazza dei Mercanti, 17, 20123 Milan – +39 02 805 2198

“Al Mercante” is placed into the XIII century “House of the Panigarola” former Office of the Charters.

The cooking of the restaurant emphasizes the importance of the Italian and Lombard tradition, with no renounces to different interpretations of the recipies. Considered one of the prides of the traditional cooking in Milan, “Al Mercante” gives you the chance to taste the best versions of the well-known risotto “Milanese” with saffron, polentas, cotolette and braised meat.

  • Boccondivino, excellent tasting menu with wine pairings – 15 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes by metro

Via Giosuè Carducci, 17 – 20123 Milan – Tel +39 02 866040

Boccondivino dedicates all its time to searching for the best, setting a marvellous journey in the most hidden corners of Italy to discover the tastiest salami or the better riped toma cheese to match the proper wine. Winery is one of the richest and most demanded, thanks to the nine hundred and more “all – Italian” labels: renowned names and precious new entries are on the menu.

  • Cucina del Toro, a hidden gem right in the centre – 10 minutes by taxi or 15 minutes by metro

Via Manfredo Camperio, 15 – 20123 Milan – Tel +39 02 875107

Elegant decor, in the heart of Milan. Kind and attentive welcome, cared menu with various dishes of meat or fish. Excellent vegetables. Elegance in the presentation of dishes.

  • TRATTORIA MILANESE , for traditional Milanese food – 25 minutes by taxi

Viale Gorizia, 30, 20144 Milano – +39 800 926 007

Milanese specialities and decor or the ancient “trattoria” in Milan: risotto alla milanese, ossobuco and cassöla!

  • CRACCO by Carlo Cracco – 10 minutes walking distance

Via Victor Hugo 4 , 20123 Milano – Tel: +39 02 876774

The internal completely renovated and amplified has been left to the fantasy and knowledge of the two architects Gian Maria and Roberto Beretta that have created an elegant and comfortable environment, enriched by the boiserie of cherry wood that goes around the walls.

The kitchen run by the chef Carlo Cracco offers an innovative cuisine combining the Milanese tradition with a modern touch, creating unique new tastes.

The cuisine of Carlo Cracco is emphasized by a unique wine cellars of 2000 labels, the result of an accurate selection from all the best wines in the international market.

  • IL MARCHESINO by Gualtiero Marchesi – 12 minutes walking distance

Pre- and post-Theater

Via Filodrammatici, 2 – 20121 Milano – Tel: +39 0279024338

Always attentive student of the La Scala Theatre season, Marchesi has paid great attention to the proposal for fans of La Scala, which can be found at the restaurant an opportunity to break the hunger before the performance or range, or round off the evening at the end of the event.
Starring the bowl of risotto alla Milanese, which is served by a spectacular shopping.

  • LA DOLCE VITA, quiet and romantic – 2 minutes walking distance

Via Bergamini 11 – Via Bergamini, 11, 20122 Milano – Tel +39 02 5830 3843

A cuisine of Mediterranean tradition, proposed by Chef Massimo Pisati equally between courses of fish and meat, with a focus on Lombard specialties. An extensive and careful selection of wines that the Sommelier Marco Contini, is always ready to advise and to propose the best combinations for food / wine. All it accompanied by delicate notes of a piano, always present in the room.

Milan is the home of the Aperitivo  and Happy Hour in the city is most definitely a ritual which no Milanese worth his/her salt is prepared to forego. The Aperitivo, the beloved Milanese tradition of pre-dinner drinks, is accompanied by complimentary stuzzichini (finger food) and an all-you-can eat buffet. Spreads range from traditional olives, nuts, cheeses and potato chips to awesome pasta dishes, bruschetta, cold cuts, crudités, raw fish and fruit salads.

  • CORSO COMO CAFE – 20 minutes by metro

Corso Como, 10 – Tel: +39 02 29013581

Lounge bar (with adjoining restaurant) located inside a vast complex dedicated to shopping and entertainment (art, fashion and design) founded in 1990 by the publisher and gallerist Carla Sozzani.

  • CAMPARINO IN GALLERIA – 10 minutes walking distance

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II corner of Piazza Duomo – Tel: +39 02 86464435

One century after it was first opened, Camparino – historically known as the “bar of the Campari brand” – has returned to its original spot in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. In the early 20th century it was a meeting place for musicians, artists and men of learning, and the place that gave birth to the tradition of the “Milanese aperitif “.

  • OCTAVIUS

Piazza Gae Aulenti 4, Milano – Tel: +39 02 63793539 – 20 minutes by metro

This innovative construct has been conceived by “Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors”. This New York design studio launched in 2002 by Robin Standefer and husband Stephen Alesch, puts a premium on aesthetic juxtapositions, high and low, spare and baroque, refined and exotic. Following Replay’s goals as a brand, Roman and Williams has created a signature retail location where Guests will be immersed in the Product, the Process and the Brand-as-Lifestyle, a multi-level experience that is meant to be enthralling, fun, and convey a sense of access to movie magic and the creative process.

It has become one of the most glamour rendez-vous of the milaneses.