My splendid Milan

We will visit the courtyards of this majestic medieval castle that counts more than six centuries of history: from a medieval fortress to a sumptuous residence of Milan’s dukes, a fortified stronghold of the foreign rulers of Milan and a perfectly restored architectural

monument housing prestigious cultural institutions.

We will also walk through the Sempione park, the former hunting grounds of Milan’s dukes, laid out in the English style and will

admire the majestic neoclassical Arch of Peace that marks the beginning of the first stretch of the Napoleonic highway to France.

We will proceed along Via Dante, pedestrian street and the pulsating core of Milan with its 19th century elegant residences, the Piccolo theater, restaurants and cafés.

We will next stop at Cordusio square, the financial center of Milan with its imposing eclectic edifices, while the Mercanti square, once having been the center of the medieval city-state, preserves interesting architecture from different historical epochs.

The majestic Cathedral square is the symbolic heart of Milan. It has constituted the fulcrum of the city’s religious and civic life since the ancient Roman and medieval eras.

The Duomo is the largest Gothic building in Italy, the history of its construction and decoration lasted over six centuries.

The Cathedral surprises by the stupendous blossoming of flying buttresses, wealth of sculptural ornamentation, stained glass windows and its interior decoration.

The roof of the Duomo, providing an excellent panoramic view of Milan, boasts a rich profusion of flying arches, pinnacles, statues and spires, including the main spire with the statue of Our Lady (Madonnina) crowning the Renaissance dome.

The early Christian archaeological excavations with remains of an old baptistery can also be seen today.

Lunch time.

There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars in the center of Milan, with a choice of food from the traditional pizza and pasta to typical Milanese dishes as well as delicious pastries, ice-cream and a variety of drinks.

A monumental arch provides access from the Duomo square to the Vittorio Emanuele gallery with its luxurious boutiques, historic restaurants and cafes. This is one of the most attractive architectural monuments of the 19th century Milan, with its octagonal space being topped with an imposing glass dome, lavish decoration and very fine mosaics.

The main arcade runs into the La Scala square with its monumental buildings from various centuries.

Milan’s reputation in the world of music was already established when in 1776 the architect Giuseppe Piermarini began the construction of La Scala opera theatre.

We will visit the Museo Teatrale alla Scala for its rich collection of objects, items, paintings and ancient musical instruments and to admire the sumptuos decoration of the legendary theater.

We will proceed along the Manzoni street to see the Arches of Porta Nuova, the sole survivor of Milan’s medieval city walls. The next place of interest is the Royal Palace (we will admire the exterior architecture) with its richly ornate neoclassical facade and the English style garden.

The Corso Venezia avenue is famous for its nicest buildings (palazzi) in various architectural styles from Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical to Liberty milanese (Art Nouveau).

Walking along the Corso Venezia to admire its architecture we will come into the most fashionable district of the city.

Milan is known as one of the world’s fashion capitals and the Montenapoleone street is iconic in itself. Alongside the boutiques of renowned Italian and European designers there are some historic cafes with an excellent choice of pastries and caffee all’italiano.