The magnificent and fabulously beautiful Milan, completely saturated with the spirit of aristocracy and great opportunities, occupies an important position in tourism. This is the second largest city after Rome, striking with its amazing Catholic churches, architectural values and monuments of art.
Milan is a business center, so here, in addition to the characteristic Italian architecture, you can find modern buildings, high-rise buildings and business centers. Numerous art galleries and the main opera house of the whole world, La Scala, await true connoisseurs of art.
Well, who does not know, Milan is the main fashion city. Various social events are regularly held here, striking in their scope and luxury. Dear elite attendance boutiques compete with the most popular cultural attractions, and the fleet of some owners on the streets of Milan can impress even Arab sheikhs.
In today's article devoted to this beautiful city, we will talk about the main attractions of Milan in Italy with a description and photos, as well as its exquisite elite areas.
Milan Cathedral
The first item on your must see list must be the Duomo Cathedral. It is one of the most visited temples in Europe and the pride of all of Italy. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that in no corner of the world you will not be able to find such a structure.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in Gothic power from rare white marble. Its construction began in the distant XIV century, but the final stage, culminating in the erection of some elements of the facade, can only be considered completed in 1965. The interior of the cathedral is no less impressive. A separate element that attracts the eyes of visitors is the statue of the Madonna - the patroness of Milan. A photo of the main attractions of Milan is presented below.
Every day, countless people want to get inside. Tourists have to spend several hours in lines in order to enter and admire the splendor of the cathedral. Anyone can also go up to the roof, which offers an amazing view of the city and the square as a whole, but for a fee symbolic by European standards.
Sforza Castle
It is quite possible to get around the sights of Milan on your own in 1 day. Let's continue our acquaintance with the main ones.
The majestic Castello Sforzesco is located in the historical part of the city and is one of the most visited attractions in Milan. The castle was built back in the 15th century and served as a defensive fortress at the time the Sforza family came to power. All the luxury of the palace was created by the hands of such great masters as Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci. Unfortunately, the results of the work of the second author have practically not been preserved to this day.
Sforzesco Castle is very popular among tourists. The walls of this building contain an extensive collection of exhibits, which include works by Leonardo da Vinci and even an unfinished sculpture, over which the great Michelangelo worked for many years.
Santa Maria delle Grazie
Continuing to share the photo with a description of the sights of Milan, we gradually move to Santa Maria delle Grazie. The church was built in the XV century and occupies an important position in the life of the Italian people. This is not only the beautiful architectural value of Milan, but also the keeper of one of the most famous works of Leonardo da Vinci - “The Last Supper”. The famous fresco depicting the last supper of Jesus Christ and his twelve disciples attract tourists from all over the world.
The great master portrayed all the heroes in full growth in order to give his work the maximum of realism. A masterpiece is really able to surprise anyone with its size: the length of the mural is 8.8 meters, and the height is 4.6. Anyone can get into the church, but for this you must first register on the appropriate site. Photos of the attractions of Milan - below.
"La Scala"
Opera House "La Scala" is considered one of the best opera venues in the world. At first it may seem that there is nothing special in the building itself, and many tourists can even pass by. But behind a rather modest and discreet facade lies a magnificent auditorium with perfect acoustics. A whole generation of famous personalities, such as E. Caruso or F. Chaliapin, stood on the stage of the theater, and their hits were performed by the most beautiful Luciano Pavarotti, whose voice could make even the most unshakable souls cry.
Museum of Science and Technology
A popular destination in Milan is the Museum of Science and Technology, named after Leonardo da Vinci. Here, anyone who is even a little fond of technology, will be able to find for himself interesting inventions and developments. Some of the works of the great master were never implemented, it is inside this building that tourists are given a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the rudiments of his creations. Among his inventions, several centuries ahead of his time, are leather scuba gear, a parachute, and even a prototype of a modern paraglider.
The Museum of Science and Technology has several zones, each of which is dedicated to individual elements. The main hall consists entirely of developments by Leonardo da Vinci, but other departments are of considerable interest to travelers. So, for example, here you can see an extensive collection of elements of some ships, trains and other equipment. This is one of the important attractions of the city of Milan. Of course, this place should be visited by every tourist who arrives in Milan.
Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II
The gallery got its name in honor of King Vittorio Emanuele and connects the square where the La Scala opera house is located with the central square of Milan Cathedral. The Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery is truly a landmark in the city and one of the main attractions of Milan, striking in its majesty. Under the roof of this building there are shops of the most famous Italian brands, such as Prada, Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana. The gallery also has a seven-star luxury hotel with sky-high room rates, but the views from its windows can impress many millionaires.
Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore
The Basilica is one of the oldest churches in Western Europe. Previously, it served as the imperial chapel, but the current image of the building belongs to a different time period. However, the external walls of the IV century basilica have been preserved in their original form to this day. In the middle of the church square, a monument was erected to Emperor Constantine, who recognized Christianity as the main religion.
Contemporary Art and Brera Gallery
If you want to devote the bulk of your time in Milan to studying high art, the first place you should go is the Museum of Modern Art, or the Brera Gallery.
The basis of the collection is the work of Italian and French artists - Giovanni Fattori, Umberto Boccioni, Paul Gauguin, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne and other famous masters.
As for the Brera Gallery, it is part of the largest venues in Milan, which have a rich collection of masterpieces of European fine art. Let's get some historical background. As you know, the initiator of the construction of the gallery was Napoleon in the 19th century, since one of his decrees was the removal of valuable paintings from Italian monasteries and their collection in one room. That is why on some masterpieces of art you can clearly trace the religious theme. The Brera Gallery allows not only to admire the preserved exhibits, but also to observe the process of their restoration in a special workshop.
Milan quadrangle
After long walks in the central streets of Milan and exploring the local art monuments, many tourists go shopping for quality shopping. In this case, the legendary “Milan Quadrangle” is best suited. The elite quarter received this name due to its design features, in other words, due to the intersection of the four famous central streets of the city. It should be noted right away: if you went to this area in search of budget goods, then you were mistaken not only with the place, but also with the city.
Signs of world famous brands in the “Milan Chetyrehgolon” attract their visitors from afar. In addition to high-quality expensive clothes, you can find boutiques with jewelry and antiques, as well as many expensive restaurants.
Skyscraper pirelli
As we have already said, Milan is able to surprise not only with its Gothic style, but also with modern architectural buildings. One of these structures is the Pirelli skyscraper, designed by architect D. Ponti. The building was erected by decree of the director of the company Pirelli and is the first skyscraper throughout Italy. The height of the structure is about 127 meters, today office premises are located inside the building.
Velasque Tower
Let's continue our theme of high-rise buildings in Italy. This applicant once got into the list of the most unattractive skyscrapers in the world, although many visitors, and local residents do not consider him such. At first glance, you can determine the approximate age of the Velasque tower, since the elements of neo-modernism of the 20th century, symbolizing the medieval bastion, climb out. This creation is rightfully included in the list of sights of Milan, and the city authorities even appointed it one of the city symbols.
Stadium
For a moment, take a break and move on to the sports attractions of Milan with a photo and description below.
The world famous soccer field, called the San Siro Stadium, is on the list of attractions for many travelers. This is the current arena of the famous clubs “Internationale” and “Milan”, built at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the initial plans of the planners, the stadium was supposed to accommodate about 35 thousand fans, but as a result of the reconstruction, its capacity almost doubled. In 1979, the stadium was renamed in honor of the outstanding player Giuseppe Meazza. An interesting fact is that one half of the fans calls him that - San Siro, and the other accepts the renamed version. In view of this, the city authorities decided to leave both names valid. Also, the arena is often used for concerts of various world groups.
Cemetery in Milan
The monumental cemetery in Milan plays a rather unusual role in the city. This is a kind of open-air park. A lot of famous people who once performed in completely different roles were buried here: writers, composers, artists or famous architects. Many tourists come to the cemetery in order to honor the memory of the great musical genius - Giuseppe Verdi. Monuments mounted on graves deserve special attention. That is why this cemetery in Milan was called monumental. Here, each sculpture is a whole work of art and tries to surpass the beauty of its neighbors.
Naviglio Grand
The city canal of Milan, along which one of the most visited streets of the city stretched. This great place is great for an evening walk or a romantic dinner with a soulmate. It is here that almost all the most famous shops and restaurants, as well as art workshops are concentrated. I walk along the streets of Milan, you can talk about the high or surprise the lady of the heart with your intellectual abilities. For example, it will be useful to share with your interlocutor information about Naviglio Grand, which is part of a five-channel system that has survived from those times. This is due to the fact that the city authorities tried to turn Milan into a likeness of Venice, but subsequently moved away from this venture.
Conclusion
Milan is definitely the place where you want to return again and again. If you still have any doubts about visiting this city, just drop everything and go on an adventure. In our article, we showed the main attractions of Milan in one day. You, dear readers, can only follow a pre-prepared route and enjoy the beauty and splendor of this truly amazing city. We hope that many of you will be satisfied after reading this article with a brief description of the main attractions of Milan in Italy and a photo. Have a nice rest and new discoveries!