Municipio 1

Getting there

Reaching Milan by rail, or by air then bus or train to the city, will usually bring you to Milano Centrale station, as described in Milan#Getin. That's 3 km north of Centro Storico. From there you can:

Take Metro line 3 (yellow, south for San Donato) to 1 Duomo M1 M3 , right by the cathedral in the heart of the district. Take Metro line 2 (green, south for Assago Milanofiore/Abbiategrasso) to 2 Lanza M2 or to Cadorna, and start your tour at Castello Sforzesco. Or walk straight down Via Vittor Pisani, onto Piazza della Republicca and Via Turati, about 45 min to come into the centre. From Malpensa Airport you can also take the train to 3 Cadorna M1 M2 next to the Castello. Then for the Duomo walk east, or take Metro Line 1, or Trams 1 or 27. From Linate Airport, bus lines 73 and X73 run to 4 Piazza San Babila M1 just east of the centre.

See

Churches 1 Duomo (Cathedral), Piazza Duomo (Duomo M1 M3 and many buses and trams). Daily 08:00-19:00, roof from 09:00. Massive, impressive and slightly mad: the cathedral is a late Gothic confection in white marble, festooned with spires and statues. You can admire the facade free from the piazza; getting inside or onto the roof involves three separate queues that may take over an hour, unless you book online. First locate the ticket office: it's along the street on the cathedral's south flank but has been known to wander, with various pop-up outlets. Here you queue #1 to pick up a number to queue #2 for the ticket desks. Buy your ticket, which will be for a specific time slot that day. When that time approaches (and off-peak it could be immediate) join queue #3 at the cathedral door for security and ticket check. There's a tedious list of what is and isn't allowed. Despite this list, shorts which end just above the knee are indeed allowed. Short-shorts are prohibited. Small backpacks are allowed (there is a bag check station). The interior is just as impressive as outside, though if you hate it you'll be in distinguished company. The problem was that construction went on in fits and starts for over 500 years, with every ruler adding bits or disliking previous work. Then in 1805 the conquering Napoleon said "Get this finished tout de suite, and my treasury will pick up the bill" and lo! it was finished. (Though he never paid up.) The Crypt of St Charles is entered within the cathedral, no extra fee, it closes around 17:00. The Baptistery of St John (extra fee) is within the cathedral. The roof (extra fee) can be reached by a lift or by 250 steps. The museum (included in ticket, closed W) is in the adjacent Church of St Gottard in Corte. It displays the story of the construction, with walk-in wooden models, façade designs from several centuries, sculptures and more. Cathedral: adult €3; roof by stairs €13, by lift €15; Baptistery of St John €3. (updated Feb 2024

Do

1 Teatro alla Scala, Via Filodrammatici 2 (Reachable by subway: Duomo M1 M3 ), ☏ +39 02 88 79 1. One of the most renowned opera houses in the world. It first opened in 1778 and re-opened in 2004 after extensive renovation. It has seen performances by stars such as Maria Callas and Pavarotti. Since Italy is the birthplace of opera, The Teatro alla Scala would be one of the best places for one to have an introduction to the world of Italian opera. La Scala is also a venue for other classical music. 2 Teatro dal Verme, Via San Giovanni sul Muro, 2, [email protected]. Classical music.

Buy

Milan's main shopping area is the so-called Fashion Quadrangle (quadrilatero della moda), a set of blocks roughly between Duomo Square (Piazza Duomo), Cavour Square (Piazza Cavour) and San Babila Square (Piazza San Babila). Here in Montenapoleone Street (with prime brand shops), Della Spiga Street, Vittorio Emanuele Street, Sant' Andrea Street, Porta Venezia avenue and Manzoni Street, it contains the most prestigious boutiques and showrooms in the world. Everything reeks of ostentation and the splendor of a chic, fashionable lifestyle. Shop windows shine, exhibiting the trendiest shoes, coolest glasses, funkiest dresses, most glamorous clothes, and most luxurious crystal chandeliers. The 1 Brera district (Lanza, or Montenapoleone metro stops) is also not to be missed for trendy and young, yet stylish, boutiques. The Brera district is great for other things, such as browsing through ancient rare art stores and galleries, sipping a hot drink at a refined-air cafe, attending a funky disco, or looking for exotic furniture. However, today, there are a lot of young designers who have up-and coming boutiques, which are slightly less expensive than their Montenapoleone counterparts, but are quite fashionable and of high quality. The Brera district is great because it combines chic, old-air shops, with zeitgeist, modernist and youthful ones. Jewellery stores include Papic oro e argento or Alcozer & J. Bijoux, fashion shops include Accessori or Laura Ashley, and furniture stores include Zohar or Lucitalia. Let us not forget, the 2 Piazza del Duomo, 3 Via Dante, 4 Piazza San Babila, and the 5 Corso Giacomo Matteotti which are excellent shopping places. In the Galleria, you get brand fashion stores, two bookstores (Rizzoli and Libreria Bocca) and a silverware store called Bernasconi plus a Gucci café (and many, many more!). In the Corso Giacomo, you can find Abercrombie & Fitch, in Piazza del Duomo you have Grimoldi, Ruggeri, Donna and La Rinascente department store, in Piazza

Eat

Budget There are many budget-friendly restaurants in the city center of Milan.

1 Luna Rossa, Via Broletto, 26. A pizza restaurant. (updated May 2022) 2 Spontini, Via Santa Radegonda, 11. Pizza. (updated May 2022) 3 Il panino del laghetto, Via Laghetto, 7. Sandwiches. (updated May 2022) 4 Bistrot Brun'ora, Via Amedei, 5. (updated May 2022) 5 Mensa e Pizza.9, Via Lodovico Necchi, 9. (updated May 2022) 6 Chiosco Squadre Calcio, Piazza Castello, 4. (updated May 2022)

Mid-range 7 Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo, Largo Corsia dei Servi, 11, 20122 Milano. Probably the best pizza in town at a reasonable price. The restaurant reopens for dinner at 19:00, people will be lining up in front of the entrance beforehand (because the pizza is so good). Come early to avoid waiting! (updated May 2022) 8 Biffi, Passaggio Duomo, no. 2 (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) (Metro: Duomo), ☏ +39 02 8057 961. 12:00–24:00 (you can have breakfast at 07:30). Opened in 1867, it is an old fashioned restaurant/café in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, surrounded by a plethora of interesting shops, which serves drinks, and foods such as spaghetti, veal, steak, fish, and desserts such as chocolate Sacher, Tiramisu, ice cream and fruit salads. The waiters serve in the formal white gloves. 9 Terra e Mare, Via Cristoforo Gluck 13. Sea food restaurant with specialities such as grilled swordfish and oysters on the menu. (updated Nov 2024)

Splurge 10 Armani/Nobu, Via Pisoni 1 (Metro: Montenapoleone, also accessible via tram), ☏ +39 02 6231 2645. Lunch 12:00–14:3