From Da Vinci to Prada: the best things to see and do in Milan
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Although renowned for its high-end shopping and cutting-edge design, Milan offers many more things to do: its museums harbour some of the country’s finest works of art, and there’s no shortage of churches adorned with wonderful frescoes, a number from the school of Leonardo Da Vinci. Steps away from the Gothic-style Duomo is La Scala, the country’s most-famous opera house where Bellini, Rossini and Verdi premiered their works. A big plus for tourists is that Milan’s relatively compact size means the centre can easily be explored on foot. Wander unplanned in the city’s narrow cobbled streets and you’ll discover a vibrant cosmopolitan city with plenty of charm and character.
Duomo
Walk the rooftops of the Duomo
With its spindly spires, flying buttresses and countless statues, the Gothic Duomo Di Milano is striking from any vantage point, although probably even more so from the rooftops. Catch the lift or climb the 251 steps to the top of the cathedral where you can observe countless statues, intricate gargoyles and elaborate spires up close while soaking in panoramic views of the city and the snowy Alps beyond.
Insider tip: Amongst the intricate statues depicting saints and martyrs are several hidden faces and details. Look out for Toscanini, Dante and even Abraham Lincoln, and see if you can spot the tennis rackets, boxing gloves and mountaineering equipment concealed among the Gothic reliefs.
Contact: 00 39 02 7202 3375; duomomilano.it
Opening times: Daily, 9am-7pm
Nearest metro: Duomo
Price: ££
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Admire 20th-century works of art alongside panoramic views
The collection of the wonderful Museo del Novecento begins with avant-garde works, with pieces by Kandinsky, Picasso and Modigliani, before moving on to Futurism, the Novecento Movement and Abstraction. The top floor displays works by Lucio Fontana, while a glass bridge connects to the Palazzo Reale, housing art from the Sixties, Seventies and the Italian Arte Povera movement.
Insider tip: Don’t miss the rooms showcasing conceptual art from the Seventies, with works by Italian and international artists including Joseph Kosuth, Vincenzo Agnetti, Marcel Broodthaers and Michele Zaza.
Contact: 00 39 02 8844 4061; museodelnovecento.org
Opening times: Mon, 2.30pm-7.30pm; Tues, Wed, Fri, Sun, 9.30am-7.30pm; Thurs, Sat, 9.30am-10.30pm
Nearest metro: Duomo
Price: ££
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Immerse yourself in the Renaissance
In the early 17th century Cardinal Federico Borromeo created the Ambrosiana, one of the largest libraries in Europe with an impressive collection of books and ancient manuscripts, including the Codex Atlanticus, the world’s largest set of drawings and writings by Da Vinci. As well as a library and reading room, the Ambrosiana houses an art gallery with works by Botticelli, Raphael and Caravaggio.
Insider tip: Don’t miss Raphael’s preparatory charcoal cartoon for his Vatican fresco 'The School of Athens'. It is the largest Renaissance drawing that has survived to this day.
Contact: 00 39 02 806 921; ambrosiana.it
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm
Nearest metro: Duomo
Price: £££
Soak up the atmosphere of a sumptuous former bank
Housed in three adjoining 18th-century palazzos, the Gallerie d’Italia exhibits 19th and 20th century works that belong to the vast Intesa Sanpaolo collection. It’s worth visiting for the building alone – take a look at the cashier desks that have been wonderfully integrated into the current exhibition, and don’t miss the leafy garden that once belonged to Alessandro Manzoni who lived next door.
Insider tip: For a unique insight into the bank’s collections, visit the vault, which safeguards about 500 paintings (open the third Thursday of the month only).
Contact: 800 167 619 (free phone number that only works from within Italy); gallerieditalia.com
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 9.30am–7.30pm; Thurs until 10.30pm
Nearest metro: Duomo or Montenapoleone
Price: £
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Watch a performance at the world-famous opera house
Soak up the atmosphere of La Scala Opera House as you enjoy a performance in this sumptuous neo-classical building. For a special treat, splash out on tickets for the opening evening, always on December 7, to experience one of the city’s most exclusive events that is steeped in history and tradition.
Insider tip: For an insight into what happens behind the scenes, book a tour of the Ansaldo Workshops, where you can see set designers, scenography technicians and blacksmiths at work, along with thousands of costumes from 1911 to the present day.
Contact: 00 39 02 7200 3744; teatroallascala.org
Nearest metro: Duomo or Montenapoleone
Price: £££
Shop until you drop
With its design showrooms, quirky concept stores and snazzy boutiques, Milan oozes style, fashion and cutting-edge design. Head to the upmarket Quadrilatero della Moda for designer labels, while if you’re after independent boutiques stroll the artsy Brera district. High-street shops line Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, while Porta Genova and the lively Navigli are dotted with quirky stores.
Insider tip: If you're after some wacky designer creations head to the Fornasetti Store, which displays all manner of whimsical pieces, from furniture to home accessories.
Brera
Stroll the artistic quarter
With its narrow cobbled streets and sophisticated buildings, the artsy district of Brera is one of Milan’s most attractive neighbourhoods. Antique shops, vintage stores and artisan workshops dot its largely pedestrianised streets, while tucked away are fashionable cafés, restaurants and bars that are popular with a stylish crowd.
Insider tip: For a quiet corner and to escape the crowds, admire the botanical collections of the Orto Botanico di Brera, founded in 1774 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria to teach botany and pharmaceutical sciences to students.
Nearest metro: Montenapoleone
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Discover some of Italy’s most impressive works of art
It was Napoleon who opened the city’s most prestigious art gallery in the early 19th century, where he displayed looted works from French-occupied Italy. The collection of the Pinacoteca di Brera is impressive, with more than 500 works of Renaissance art including Giovanni Bellini’s Pietà, Andrea Mantegna’s The Dead Christ, and Raphael’s The Marriage of the Virgin.
Insider tip: Watch conservators at work as they restore masterpieces in the Laboratorio Trasparente, a glass-panelled studio in Room XVIII.
Contact: 00 39 02 7226 3264; pinacotecabrera.org
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 8.30am-7.15pm; third Thursday of the month until 10.15pm
Nearest metro: Montenapoleone or Lanza
Price: ££
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San Babila
Gain an insight into the privileged lives of the 1930s Milanese bourgeoisie
Built in the 1930s, Villa Necchi Campiglio breathes Art Deco down to the very smallest details. The interiors of this city mansion have been wonderfully preserved, with original details and furnishings including walnut floors, a marble staircase and a rosewood bookcase in the library. Important artworks by de Chirico, Modigliani and Picasso, among others, complete the picture.
Insider tip: As you tour the house, look out for the dumbwaiter, lifts and intercoms, modern features that were a luxury in the 1930s, exuding comfort, style and elegance – not to speak of the outdoor heated swimming pool and tennis court immersed in the leafy garden.
Contact: 00 39 02 763 40121; fondoambiente.it
Opening times: Wed-Sun, 10am-6pm (visit by 1hr guided tour only; book ahead over the phone)
Nearest metro: San Babila or Palestro
Price: ££
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Magenta & around
Marvel at frescoes from the school of Leonardo
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper inevitably draws the crowds, but if you’re after frescoes then look no further than the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, one of Milan’s most beautiful churches. An austere grey façade conceals wonderful interiors embellished with cycles of 16th-century frescoes, including intricate depictions of cherubs, martyrs and saints by Bernardino Luini and the Lombard School.
Insider tip: Nip through the doorway to the left of the altar to reach the convent hall. Look out for the wonderful fresco of Noah’s Ark and see if you can spot the two unicorns among all the wild animals.
Contact: 00 39 02 8846 5720; museoarcheologicomilano.it
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 9.30am-7.30pm
Nearest metro: Cadorna
Price: Free
Visit Da Vinci’s much-loved vineyard
If you do head to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie to marvel at The Last Supper, be sure to escape the crowds by visiting the building opposite, the Casa degli Atellani, a wonderful Renaissance abode complete with frescoes and mosaic flooring, whose garden and vineyard once belonged to Da Vinci. When Da Vinci came to Milan to work on The Last Supper, the Duke gifted him with a vineyard, which he would take care of until his death.
Insider tip: Sign up for the 45-minute guided tour (Saturdays and Sundays) to gain an insight into Leonardo’s life in Milan.
Contact: 00 39 02 481 6150; vignadileonardo.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-6pm
Nearest metro: Conciliazione
Price: ££
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Eye up the best in Italian design
A must for design lovers, Triennale Milano has a collection of more than 1,600 design objects dating from 1927 to the present day. The ground floor Museo del Design Italiano exhibits about 200 items from the collection, including pieces from 1946 to 1981 by renowned designers such as Gio Ponti, Achille Castiglioni and Alessandro Mendini. There are regular exhibitions and events on design, architecture and the visual arts.
Insider tip: Try and visit in the afternoon so you can soak up the city views while enjoying an aperitivo at the second floor Terrazza Triennale, which has one of the city’s best terraces.
Contact: 00 39 02 724 341; triennale.org
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 10.30am-8.30pm
Nearest metro: Cadorna
Price: £££
Navigli & Porta Genova
Enjoy an aperitivo along the Navigli
Milan’s Navigli, or canals, are lined with lively bars that come to life in the early evenings, when milanesi flock here to sip on cocktails and enjoy a few tasty nibbles. Designed to stimulate the appetite before an evening meal, aperitivo has become something of a ritual in Milan, and there’s no better way to get involved than here.
Insider tip: With all the nightlife venues lining the canals, it’s difficult to know where to start. See if you can bag a spot at Backdoor 43, what is allegedly the world’s smallest whisky bar, seating just four.
Nearest metro: Porta Genova
Price: ££
Delve into the world of timeless Armani collections
Milan offers plenty for fashion lovers, not least Armani/Silos, a superb fashion/art space dedicated to renowned Italian designer Armani. Displaying a selection of Armani’s best creations from 1980 to the present day, clothes and accessories are stylishly laid out and divided by themes including 'Ethnicities', with signature Armani creations inspired by other cultures, from Syria to Polynesia.
Insider tip: Fashion enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the third-floor digital archive and screening room with interactive workstations and touchscreens offering access to sketches, photos and video clips that shed light on the creative processes behind Armani designs.
Contact: 00 39 02 9163 0010; armanisilos.com
Opening times: Thurs-Sat, 11am-9pm; Wed, Fri, Sun, 11am-7pm
Nearest metro: Porta Genova
Price: ££
Porta Romana & around
See contemporary art and visit a café designed by Wes Anderson
Head to contemporary arts complex Fondazione Prada and tour its recently built nine-storey tower, which houses works by Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst. Or visit the Haunted House (book ahead) to admire disturbing pieces by Robert Gober and Louise Bourgeois. Film buffs can unwind with original language screenings in the mirror-clad cinema.
Insider tip: Pop into the Wes Anderson-designed Bar Luce and soak up its quirky vibe and fun design featuring pink terrazzo floors, patterned wallpaper and Formica furniture. If you’re visiting in the afternoon, head up to the sixth-floor bar Torre for an aperitivo.
Contact: 00 39 02 5666 2611; fondazioneprada.org
Opening times: Mon, Wed, Thurs, 10am-7pm; Fri, Sat, Sun, 10am-9pm
Nearest metro: Lodi
Price: ££
