Milan, the Fashion Capital

10/28/2004

Milan is a blended city of all things old and new.

In the beginning the Po Valley was a fertile land crossed be large rivers and inhabited by the Ligurians, the Etruscans and later by the Gauls. The legend says that Belloveso, the Gaul chief, laid a cornerstone of the present day capital of Lombardy at exactly the point where the world famous theater of La Scala is located. In 222 B.C the Romans defeated the Gauls, conquered the Po valley and occupied the town, calling the city Mediolanum, and meaning ‘land in between’. And so Milan was born, the second largest city in Italy, into what is known today as the city of extremities; extreme to live in and extreme to visit.

This restless rhythm is a part of both work and leisure, it is impossible to stay unmoved and not be bewitched by the cities cultural and social stimulus. Milan breathes energy into you and sucks energy out of you like a vacuum, it is a city that everyone hates to love, a city without an exit door. Milan is also the undisputed city of chic, it sets world wide trends and fashion styles, ancient to modern, middle to working class.

The Central Station is situated in a commercial area full of transport terminals and hotels, which developed around the railway in the second half of the 19th century, and was a prominent target of urban restructuring projects during the Fascist period. The station is said to be one of the most beautiful in the whole world. Enormous, abundantly faced in heavy stone, the station was built in a megalithic early 20th century style which is ironically described as `Assyro-Milanese'. If you visit it as a historic site and not just as a place to catch a train, look upward; there are interesting decorations on the ceiling, and unusual vertical spatial structures.

milan (big)

The throbbing heart of Milan is Piazza Del Duomo, the whole city seems to revolve around the square; people are everywhere, either on their way to the office, out shopping, off to the theater, or else slowly strolling around under the gorgeous arcade. The Duomo, dating back to 1300, is the most outstanding example of Gothic-Lombard architecture and the world’s fourth largest church. Built on the wishes of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, this delicate religious building is second only to St Peter’s in Rome and bound in beauty. Inside the Duomo are intricate rose stained glass windows with dusky light seeping in to highlight the wooden pews. The most interesting part is taking a walk on top of the Duomo’s roof. Forests of statue adorned spires pierce the sky and the skyline of Milan spreads out before your eyes.

The triumphal arch of Vittorio Emanuele Arcade is split into two sides, the North Building and the South Building, followed by two minor buildings built in 1939 known as the ‘propilei’. Inside the arcade you can sip on an expensive but tasty café, window-shop and admire the extraordinary colored glass and iron dome ceiling.


milan_1The Palazzo Ducale in Piazza Duomo is a very old building dating back to 1100 and which has been home to the most powerful men in Milan over the centuries, from the Viscontis to the Sforza family, Spanish governors and Austrian rulers. Since 1965 the palace has belonged to the city of Milan, and is now home to the Museum of Contemporary Art, while the left wing houses the Cathedral Museum.

At the north-eastern end of the lovely Via Dante, which intersects the Piazza del Duomo, looms the Castello Sforzesco. Originally a military fortress, with the new and improved defences being designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The castle today houses a collection of modern museums including the Museum of Ancient Art, home to some of the most important sculptures that help to understand Lombard history and culture, as well as museums stocked with impressive antiquities, sculptures and paintings. Inside it has wonderful interior courtyards, built in Gothic-Renaissance style and incredible halls, and frescoes. Parco Sempione stands behind the castle, a fascinating park with lakes, meadows and little bridges. It is the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon in the fresh air.

Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Last Supper, painted with an experimental mix of tempera and oil, is located at the Convento di Santa Maria delle Grazie. The masterwork has been restored over the last 20 years leaving just an echo of the master’s brushwork, yet its power has been brought back to its full glory and halting the deterioration that was turning it into a faded, shapeless stain. You will need to make a booking well in advance if you wish to visit.

milan_3The wonderfully relaxing Porta Venezia Gardens is one of the Milanese's favorite places to be on springtime afternoons. The gardens which were the first to be opened to the public in Milan date back to the end of the eighteenth century and were renovated in 1880. There are many monuments dedicated to famous characters from Italian history and there are also many botanical species to be admired. Also, at the far end of the gardens is the 18th-century Palazzo Dugnale, housing the Greenhouse Laboratories, part of the Milan Natural Science Centre.

Milan has an array of alluring places to visit for lovers of music, art or theater.

Piazza Scala crosses the Vittorio Emanuele Arcade from south to north; coming out into the Piazza della Scala you can see La Scala Theatre on its far side and Palazzo Marino, today Milan’s city hall. The monument in the centre portrays Leonardo da Vinci surrounded by his pupils; the vast inner courtyard has an unusual decorative scheme of human and animal head sculptures surrounded by carved garlands and geometric patterns. La Scala Theatre Museum was founded in 1913, it is an interesting museum housing exhibits of various costumes and theatre sets that are of great historical and artistic value; some rooms are dedicated to the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi, while others house ancient musical instruments.

Via Brera is considered the ‘artistic’ area of Milan, this traffic-free area has often been compared to New York’s Greenwich Village. This quarter is one of the most attractive and fashionable places in Milan that has an atmosphere reminiscent of Paris with its open-air coffee shops, boutiques good for bric-a-brac, attractive restaurants and art galleries. The Pinacoteca di Brera is an art gallery set up in 1809 by Napoleone Bonaparte. It houses a great number of works of art that were enriched by a century of acquisitions and bequests from churches and convents throughout Europe and include masterpieces by artists such as Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Mantenga, Tintoretto and Caravaggio.

For great museums pay a visit to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan’s oldest museum, this was opened in 1609. It is home to some masterpieces by artists such as Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello and Botticelli. The Ambrosiana also houses an important library which contains some ancient codes, illuminated manuscripts, and ancient books.

The Museum of Science and Technology was named after the genius Leonardo da Vinci and is considered one of the most interesting science museums in the world with subjects ranging from astronomy to computers. There are also the models and machines, built to the design by the great da Vinci that can not be missed.

Milan is heaven on earth for lovers of shopping. You can find the best of everything in this city, especially everything connected with fashion and design. The range of retail outlets in Milan runs from the high fashion boutiques, to small shops, department stores, supermarkets, discount outlets, and street markets. Some parts of the city even have a specific character as regards shopping.

milan_2The heart of the luxury shopping area in Milan is Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant’Andrea, elegant streets that together with Via Manzoni, Via Borgospesso and Via Santo Spirito are the outer limits of the famous Fashion Quadrilatero. Designer clothes from people such as Gucci, Versace, Luis Vinton, Pravda, Valentino, Cartier, Tenino Crisco and D&G fill the shop windows.

For more affordable purchases, there are four important streets in the city that are almost entirely dedicated to shopping; Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Aires, Via Torino and Corso di Porta Ticinese. Here you will find names such as Max Mara, H&M, Zara and Furla. Corso Buenos Aires, one of the longest streets in Europe and is even more commercial; here you can find Timberland, Mandarina Duck, Benetton, Kookai and Nara Camice.

What does Milanese Dolce Vita offer after dark? One interesting thing is that Milanese night life begins very early; you don’t have to wait for dusk to be with your friends and enjoy yourself. One habit that has become popular in the last few years is brunch, a ritual that originated in New York, and that has spread in Italy, starting from Milan.

Milan has adopted a number of international cooking trends over the years such as Chinese, Indian, African, Japanese and Middle Eastern cooking. Although Milanese people never stray to afar from their origins, offering traditional Milanese dishes to eat at trattorias, inns and restaurants. A popular Milanese aperitif to try when out for happy hour is the classical Negroni, made with Bitter Campari, Gin, red Martini and ice.

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of bars, lounge bars, wine bars, pubs, cafés, bistros, pubs, wine cellars, live music bars and lots more in Milan to choose from. The Milanese night scene is so wide-ranging and continuously changing, just like everything in this eclectic city.

The accommodation offer for a budget traveler may be not so wide, but we can help you in finding the best accommodation in Milan for you.

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