DUOMO
In more or less 10 minutes time using the
subway you will bew able to reach one of the
largest Gothic cathedral in the world, Milan's
Duomo has a population of 6,000 statues, a
solemn and lofty interior resembling a sequoia
forest, giant multi-colored stained-glass
windows and works of art to make any museum
green with envy.
It's the seat of the one and only Roman
Catholic diocese which - following its patron,
Sant'Ambrogio still keeps to an ancient
calendar of its own. Which is why Milan is
still going wild with its Carnival when the
rest of the world has started Lent.
Take a walk outside, around the back of the
enormous church, your nose pointing skyward to
admire the interplay of pinnacles and
buttresses. Then go to the top floor of la La
Rinascente store and look at the spires
face-to-face.
PORTA TICINESE
A very characteristic district, once the
town's port. Strange as it may seem today,
till 1928 Milan was penetrated, even close to
the center, by canals - or Navigli - and
barges.
Like in any other town, Milan's port was a
lively place, with occasional seedier
overtones. Ticinese is still a working-class
district, although smart shops, restaurants
and cafés now abound.
An exceptional church, San Lorenzo, is located
here, with original Roman columns still
standing in front of it.
Piazza Vetra (o piazza delle due basiliche)
connects San Lorenzo to the equally splendid
church of Sant'Eustorgio.
If you keep walking, about a hundred meters
towards the suburbs, you reach the Darsena (Basin)
and the external Navigli - these,
picturesquely, still full of water. It is an
animated area too, where people hang out after
dark, come for a drink, to have an ice-cream
or listen to live music.
The Sforza Castle
is a spectacular fortified palace built by the
Visconti and the Sforzas, Signori of Milan,
who held sway over Northern Italy between the
late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Castle
was extensively renovated around 1900 to house
museums and libraries. Particularly
outstanding is the art gallery, or Museo
d'Arte Antica, containing both paintings and
sculptures. Its exhibits include the Rondanini
Pietà, last and perhaps most moving
masterpiece by Michelangelo. For further
information on the Museo d'Arte Antica, you
can refer to a key to Milan.
SANT AMBROGIO
Dedicated to Ambrose, Milan's patron saint,
this basilica is a typical example of
Romanesque architecture of the first centuries
after 1000 AD.
MAGENTA
A 19th century district flanking a street -
Corso Magenta in fact - that has existed on
this site since the times when Milan was
capital of the Western Roman Empire (3rd
century AD).
A short walk towards the suburbs brings you to
the Renaissance church of Santa Maria delle
Grazie. It was in the convent here that,
between 1495 and 1497, Leonardo da Vinci
painted The Last Supper his most famous and
largest work.
visits must be booked by phone and last 15
minutes; Tue-Sun 8:15am-6:45pm; no credit
cards; discounts for students, under 18 and
EEC senior citizens over 65
tel. [+39] 02 89421146
CENACOLO VINCINIANO
È possibile visitarlo soltanto su prenotazione
al numero 02 89421146, eseguita almeno 24 ore
in anticipo, le visite sono aperte dalle 8.15
alle 18.45, chiuso il lunedì. La visita dura
15 minuti.
Central train station:
From the Central station you can reach us
easily by subway, YOU SHOULD TAKE THE GREEN
LINE TO Cadorna and there change in the red
line, direction Bisceglie, Stop Gambara.
Leaving the train you should walk in the
direction of via delle forze armate there we
are situated on the right hand side after
about 100m. (The tickets you can get in the
underground or at every newspaper agency)
Station CADORNA:
From Station Cadorna you should take the
subway, red line, direction Bisceglie, Stop
Gambara. Leaving the train you should walk in
the direction of via delle forze armate there
we are situated on the right hand side after
about 100m. (The tickets you can get in the
underground or at every newspaper agency).
MALPENSA:
From Malpensa Airport you have two
possibilities:
Malpensa Express, a train, which is heading to
Cadorna Station. The ride will take you approx.
45 min and costs you about 10,00 EUR.
The shuttle bus is heading to the Central
Station. The ride will also take you about 45
min and the price is approx. 5,00 EUR.
The Hotel Edy is located nearby the stop of
the metro Gambara, Not far from the stadium
neither form the Fiera
LINATE:
From Linate Airport you have two possibilities:
you can take the shuttle bus heading to the
Central Station. The ride will take you about
20 min and the costs are approx. 3,00 EUR.
Take the bus number 73 till Piazza San Babila
and then the red line, direction Bisceglie,
Stop Gambara. Leaving the train you should
walk in the direction of via delle forze
armate there we are situated on the right hand
side after about 100m. (The tickets you can
get in the underground or at every newspaper
agency)
Dall' aereoporto di Orio al Serio, Bergamo:
From Bergamo Airport you should take the
shuttle bus which is heading to the Central
Station. The ride will take you about an hour
and will cost you about 8,00 EUR. The tickets
you can get on the counter in the airport.
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Originally the private museum of a wealthy
Milanese gentleman art-collector, Gian Giacomo
Poldi Pezzoli, the museum conserved this
characteristic when the owner left the city of
Milan on his death in 1878. The museum is
housed in the 17° century Porta building,
which was mosified in the following century.
The 22 showrooms occupy both floors and the
collection inclused great Italian 14th and
17th century paintings. In addiction there are
other collections of art objects including:
jewellery; enamels; china; furniture;
tapestries and armour. The paintings include
works by Botticelli, Piero Della Francesca,
Mantegna, Pollaiolo and Guardi.
12, via Manzoni - MM3 Montenapoleone, Bus 61,
Tram 1/2
Open: 9.00 a.m. - 12.30 a.m.
2.30 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Saturday closing: 7.30 p.m. - Closed Mondays.
(from April 1 to Sept. 30 closed Sunday
afternoon).
Admission: L.10.000
Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della
Tecnica: "Leonardo Da Vinci"
It was founded between 1947-53 in order to
make known the origins and development of
scientific theories and technological
progress. The various sections occupy 3
buildings: the one dedicated to aeronautical
and rail transport is monumental. The first
building houses the technological and
scientific sections, on three floors. On the
first floor there is Leonardo's Gallery with
the great artist and inventor's ingenious
medels and original sketches. A reproduction
of Leonardo's famous self-portrait, engraved
on plate-glass, welcomes visitors at the
entrance. Recently, educational laboratories
have been opened.
The Railway Pavilion at the "Museo della
Scienza"
With 28 sections, from informatics to motors
of astronomy, 40.000 mq. of expositions, and a
big wealth of 15.000 exhibits, the Museo
Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica
"Leonardo da Vinci" of Milan is one of the
most important technologic-scientific museum
of the world. The Museum presents a particular
path that bring us in an happy period of the
Italian artistic history: the Renaissance and
its great men, among them Leonardo da Vinci,
who more than others could join the concept of
"art-science-technology" concept that during
the centuries is disappeared with the
predominance of an art on another. To the
genius of Leonardo engineer and scientist, is
dedicated a big gallery, where there are not
only the models of Leonardo's machines, but
also numerous frescoes of XVI and XVII century,
among them also a replica of the "Ultima
Cena".
21, via San Vittore - MM2 Sant' Ambrogio, Bus
18-50-58, Tram 24
Open: 9.30 a.m. - 4.50 p.m.
Sat.Sun. 9.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m. Closed Mondays
(not holidays).
Entrance facilities for disabled.
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale
The seat of this museum is in a building
erected by the architect Giovanni Cerruti in
1893, in Neo-Romanesque style, with a
profusion of ornamental terracottas. It is
situated in the area of the Public Gardens,
near the Planetarium. It was founded in 1838
when the Milanese nobleman, Giuseppe De
Cristoforis and the professor of botany
Giorgio Jan donated their naturalist
collection to the Municipality of Milan. One
of the directors of the Museums was the
renowned geologist Antonio Stoppani (monument
to the right of the building). Rebuilt after
the devastation caused by war-demage, the
museum has sections dedicated to mineralogy,
geology and paleontology; zoology of
vertebrates; entomology and botany. The
reconstructions of the various natural
environments are of special interest.
55, Corso Venezia - MM1 Palestro, Tram 9-29-30
Open: 9.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. Saturdays and
holidays: 9.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Closed Mondays.
Admission: free of charge.
Palazzo Dell'Arte-Triennale
The building, situated in Sempione Park, was
designed by Giovanni Muzio and built in
1932-33 thanks to the legacy left by the
manufacturer Antonio Bernocchi, who wished the
city to have a permanent Centre for
International Exibitions of Decorative Arts.
Since then the massive building, in
terra-cotta with white arches, has been the
seat of the milan Triennals. The Triennal
Exibitions of Decorative Arts was founded in
1923 to promote the qualitative improvement of
Italian manufactored articles. These
exibitions play a fundamental role in the
debate of Architecture. The building also
houses a Study Centre with a library
specialising in Design and Applied Arts.
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
The building which houses the picture gallery
was erected by order of Cardinal Federico
Borromeo, who supplied the original collection
of works of art. Since then numerous donations
made by artists, private citizens and various
associations have been added. The gallery was
finally completed only after the Second World
War. After 7 years reconstruction and
re-decoration, it was re-opened to the public
in October 1997. It contains important works
belonging, above all, to the Lombard and
Venetian schools, in addition to a collection
of sketches by great masters the most famous
exibits include "La Canestra di Frutta" by
Caravaggio, and Raphael's cartoon for "Scuola
d'Atene". The building also houses Europe's
oldest public library, with 35.000 manuscripts
and autographed sketches by Leonardo: (the
Atlantic Code - not accessible to visitors).
Piazza Pio XI - MM1 Cordusio, Bus 18-50-54-58,
Tram 1-2-3-4-12-14-19-24-27
Open from 10.00 to 5.30 p.m. from Tuesday to
Sunday
Admission: L.12.000
Pinacoteca Brera
The impressive 17th century baroque Brera
Palace, once a Jesuite college, now houses the
Academy of Fine Arts, the Picture Gallery, the
Brera Gallery, the Astronomical Observatory
and the Botanical Gardens. At the far end of
the courtyard with 2 rows of connected arches
(Richini), a grand staircase leads up to the
Gallery, which occupies 38 showrooms. More
than 500 pictures, moslty of the XV-XVII
century Venetian school, are on view. The
Brera Gallery is world-famous for its
masterpieces which include works by Mantegna
(Cristo Morto); Piero Della Francesca; Bellini
(Pietà); Raffaello (Sposalizio della Vergine);
Caravaggio (Cena in Emmaus);Veronese (SS.
Antonio, Cornelio e Cipriano); and Tintoretto
(Miracolo di San Marco).
28, Via Brera - MM2 Lanza, Bus 41-61
Open: 9.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Holidays: 9.00 a.m. - 12.30 a.m.
Closed Mondays.
Entrance facilities for disabled.
Admission: L.8.000.
Acquario Civico
Built in Liberty style by the architect
Sebastiano Locati for the International
Exibition held in Milan in 1906, the building
was partly destroyed by the 1943 bombings. It
was rebuilt in the same style and a few years
ago the interior was modernised. In the
numerous tanks frsh-water and marine fish are
on view, together with various species of
reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. There
is also a hydrobiological station.
2, via Gadio - Parco Sempione
MM2 Lanza, Bus 43-57-70, Tram 3-4-12-14
Entrance: free of charge.
Videothèque open to the public 9.30 a.m. -
5.30 p.m.
Closed Mondays.
USEFUL INFO /
MILAN