Milan is the capital of Lombardy and of Milan provence, N Italy, at the heart of the Po basin. It has a population of 1.3 million people. Today Milan is Italy's second largest city after Rome. Milan is a magnetic point for designers, artists, photographers and models. Milan has an ancient city centre with high and interesting buildings and palazzos, which is why so many people from all over the world want to travel to the city. Milan is recognized as a world fashion and design capital, with a major global influence in commerce, industry, music, sport, literature, art and media.
Attractions
The most striking feature of the city is the Duomo, the large, white-marble cathedral (1386-1813), which shows traces of many styles (especially Gothic). It is elaborately ornamented, with 135 pinnacles and more than 200 marble statues. A statue of the Madonna is on the highest pinnacle (354 ft/108 m).
Other attractions in Milan include Brera
Palace and Picture Gallery (17th cent.), which includes major works by Mantegna, Bellini, Piero della Francesca,
and Raphael, the Castello Sforzesco (15th cent., with 19th-century
additions), which houses a museum of art, the Church of Santa Maria delle
Grazie (1465-90), containing the famous fresco, the Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science
and Technology, the
Basilica of Sant' Ambrogio (founded in the 4th century rebuilt in the 11th-12th
century), the Ambrosian Library, which houses a rich collection of paintings, the
Church of Sant' Eustorgio (9th cent.), the gallery of modern art, and the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, with
paintings by Boticelli, , Mantegna, Piero della Francesca and Pollaiuolo.
View our Things to do page for our suggestioned attractions to visit while in Milan.
Events
The festival of
Sant’Ambrogio takes place once a year, on 7 December. Milan
celebrates its saint who is Saint Ambrose (Sant’Ambrogio). On the day of
Saint Ambrose, there is the fair called “O bei! O bei!” The festival overlaps
with the opening of the opera season at the Scala. There are also festivals like the Corteo dei Re Magi on
6 January, Tredesin de
mars on 13 March or the Fair of Flowers.
Transportation in Milan
There is a good public transportation system in Milan
and it's easy to get to Milan
from either of its airports. There are a number of different options to
choose from to travel around like trains,
trams and buses, radio bus, car, metro or taxi.
View our getting here page for information on getting to Milan
Browse our subpages and book your stay in the Holiday Inn Express Milan Malpensa, the First Hotel Milan and the Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa in Milan.