Tour of Milano

What is the trip about

Milan is commonly known as the economic capital of Italy, a definition that seems to emphasize that they turn a lot of money but there is little interesting to see. And instead of things to do and see in Milan there are many: you can start from the Milan Postcard, that of Piazza Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Castello Sforzesco, symbols of the ancient wealth of Milan. Then there is the Milan of Leonardo Da Vinci, who put his architect genius at work to make navigable ships, recently recovered and fashionable place. Leonardo also donated one of his greatest masterpieces to Milan: the Cenacolo, painted in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Then there is the international Milan, the one that attracts riches from all over the world: that of San Babila with its beautiful neo-Romanesque church, but above all with the fashion streets, the windows of the big brands, the models around and the parked cars. In short, the things to do and see in this city are not few, to which we must add the charm of a great European metropolis and a kitchen unjustly undervalued compared to that of Rome, Naples or Florence.

What could be more representative of Milan than the Duomo? The church dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente, built at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, is the symbol of the city, as well as one of the first things to see as soon as you set foot in Milan. The works for the Milan Cathedral began in 1386 and favored the birth of a stupendous monument, with wonderful windows and beautiful sculpted decorations. This majestic structure is the most significant testimony of Gothic architecture, which leaves no room for any doubt: it is the only one in which Nordic characters and Lombard elements merge. The beauty of the Duomo is completed by the main spire dominated by the famous Madonnina, a golden copper statue, 4 meters high. If you visit the church on a beautiful sunny day, you can enjoy from the terraces a wonderful view of the city and the Alps. Inside you should not miss the presbytery area, set up again in the second half of the 500. At the apex of the apse. the relic of the Sacred Chiodo della Croce is located. Just to give a little ‘numbers know that: in the Cathedral there are 3,500 statues, including the 96 giants of gargoyles, and that the structure is 157 meters long, 92 meters wide and that the spire is 108.50 meters high.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is jealously guarded inside the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Leonardo created this work of surprising beauty on the north wall of the great hall between 1494 and 1498, during the lordship of Ludovico il Moro. The brilliant Leonardo executed this “dry” masterpiece, instead of the fresco technique usually used for wall paintings. Unfortunately, over time, due to environmental conditions and historical events, the work has undergone heavy deterioration and can be seen only partially. Many have been the restoration works on the Last Supper, and in particular that of 1999 has returned to the painting its original colors and has removed the previous works of painting. To avoid that the painting can still be damaged, it is kept in particular environmental conditions, determined by the treatment of the air, and can be visited only by groups of maximum 25 visitors at a time, every 15 minutes.

When Milan was proclaimed capital of the Italic Kingdom by Napoleon, the expropriated paintings of churches and aristocrats (those not brought to Paris) arrived in Brera. Therefore, the Pinacoteca di Brera differs from the other prestigious Italian museums because it does not originate from the private collections of the aristocracy and the princes, but from that of the State and the political. The collection is very rich with some of the most famous works in the world: from the Dinner in Emmaus by Caravaggio to the Dead Christ by Mantegna, from the Pala Brera by Piero della Francesca to the Sposalizio della Vergine by Raffaello. Alongside these famous works there are many others, exceptional even if less known. One of the symbols of Brera is the framework of Romanticism par excellence: the Kiss of Hayez. The collection dates back to the 20th century with works by Braque, Modigliani, Picasso, Morandi, De Chirico and many others.

You almost never think of Milan as a city of water, but it is so. The Navigli system was born with the ambitious project of connecting Milan with Lake Como, the Adda, the Lago Maggiore and the Po, arriving in northern Europe and then up to the sea. The history of the Navigli begins in the second half of the twelfth century, with the construction of the first navigable stretch. The first canal, the Ticinello, was inaugurated in 1179, and with its 50 kilometers in length, it gave way to the construction of the great Naviglio. In 1457 Francesco Sforza entrusted Bertola da Novate with the construction of the Naviglio della Martesana but it was with Ludovico il Moro that the true turning point took place. And what genius could complete such a complex hydraulic work if not Leonardo Da Vinci? With a brilliant system of locks, Leonardo da Vinci managed to connect Milan with Lake Como. Only the connection with the sea was lacking through the Po: Napoleon thought in 1805 that he completed the construction of the Naviglio Pavese. The Navigli have lived different times: they brought wealth but then they suffered abandonment and pollution, a good part were buried. Despite everything, the Milanese have always loved them, going for a walk or going to the taverns and clubs that were born around it. Today they live a rebirth and are at the center of numerous redevelopment projects: the first brought to completion is that of the new Darsena, in the Naviglio Grande, which took place with the Expo 2015. Cycle paths, boats, relaxation areas flank the traditional taverns, boutiques and artists’ shops.

The Castello Sforzesco has accompanied the history of Milan for 750 years and has been a determining place on many occasions. The first construction was commissioned by Galeazzo II but it was Francesco Sforza (hence the name), to give it its current form. The Castle has almost always played the role of a military citadel and is, still today, one of the largest castles in Europe. Always a place linked to war, domination and mourning, then loved and hated by the Milanese, in the twentieth century the castle changed its face and took on the comforting aspect of a place of culture, used to protect the testimonies of Lombard art. Currently the Castello Sforzesco is full of museums: on the ground floor of the Corte Ducale there is the Museum of Ancient Art, on the first floor the collection of furniture and the Art Gallery, on the first and second floor of the Rocchetta there are the Art collections Applied and the Museum of Musical Instruments, in the basement of the Ducal Court there are the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory and the Egyptian Museum. The Castle contains some masterpieces of Italian art: Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini, Leonardo’s frescoes in the VIII hall of the Museum of Ancient Art, the Madonna in glory and saints Giovanni Battista, Gregorio Magno, Benedetto and Gerolamo del Mantegna in the Pinacoteca the extraordinary series of tapestries depicting the twelve months of Bramantino, in the Sala della Balla.