My Milan in One Day Top Attractions
Itinerary
Day 1, Mon Aug 17 2015
Hour Where Recommended Visit Time
Best Western Plus Hotel Felice
1. 08:43
Casati
2. 09:00 Santa Maria Presso di San Satiro 1 hour
3. 10:05 Royal Palace of Milan 1 hour
4. 11:05 Milan Cathedral 1 hour
5. 12:10 Piazza del Duomo 30 mins
6. 12:40 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 1 hour
7. 13:40 Teatro alla Scala 1 hour
8. 14:50 San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore 1 hour
9. 16:00 Santa Maria delle Grazie 1 hour
Best Western Plus Hotel Felice
10. 17:20
Casati
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Best Western Plus Hotel Felice
08:43
Casati
Address: Via Felice Casati 18 Stazione Centrale 20124
Milan
2.2 KM, 17 minutes by transit
09:00 Santa Maria Presso di San Satiro Rating: Religious Sites
Visit Time: 1 hour
This is a small church sandwiched between larger more recent
constructions, what it lacks in size it makes up for in decoration. The
church dates back to the 9th century and Gothic frescos, two bays and
a vaulted ceiling remain from this original structure. From the 14th
century church a wooden sculpture of St. Christopher and baby Jesus
remains which was restored in the 15th century. It was in the 15th
century that architect Donato Bramante transformed the church in an
effort to expand its limited size and added the Church of Saint Mary
adjacent to the original structure.
The church has a barrel vaulted ceiling and a dome at the point where
the nave crosses the transept. In an effort to make the church seem
larger Bramante added a trompe l'oeil painting adding depth to the
church behind the altar by Giuseppe Peroni. The illusion uses trompe
l'oeil paintings of realistic looking columns, arches and a dome to
extend the 97cm space to look more like almost 10 meters. This was
Admission: Free admission
the first know use of the trompe l'oeil painting technique. The church
holds the votive painting Madonna and Child and Pieta, a sculptural Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am - noon, 2:30pm -
group with 14 terra cotta figures created by Agostino de Fondutis in 6:00pm
1483.
Transportation: Metro: Duomo or Missori
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0.3 KM, 4 minutes by walking
10:05 Royal Palace of Milan Rating: Palaces
Visit Time: 1 hour
The Palazzo Reale (once called the Royal Ducal) is located on Piazza
del Duomo in central Milan; it is home to the Contemporary Art
Museum and the Duomo Cathedral Museum. The palace covers
7,000m² and is one of the city's most important cultural centers and
exhibition spaces. The palace was the center of Milan government in
the Middle Ages and during the rule of Torriani, Visconti and Sforza. In
the 16 th century the Governor took on the project of raising the
standard of the palace. Pellegrino Tibaldi was employed from 1573 to
1598 to design the interior with the help of major artists of the time.
During the 17 th and 18 th century the palace was damaged by fires
and in 1745 was restored and Francesco Croce was used to design
and furnish the interiors.
The building has sweeping staircases and large elegant halls which
can be credited to 1769 designs by Luigi Vanvitelli and construction by
Giuseppe Piermarini. The leading artists of the time were Address: Piazza del Duomo, 12, Milano, Italy
commissioned to decorate the interiors including the Maggiolini family.
Phone Number: +39 02 0202
Other contributors to the sumptuous interiors were Giulio Traballesi
and sculptors Giocondo Albertolli, Gaetano Caldani and Giuseppe Admission: 9€
Franchi while Giuseppe Maggiolini designed a lot of the furniture. Opening Hours: Mon 2:30pm - 7:30pm, Tue - Sun
The neoclassical palace became the home of successive rulers 9:30am - 7:30pm, Thu and Sat 09:30am -
including Maria Theresa, Napoleon, Ferdinand I and the Savoy family. 10:30pm
In 1920 the palace ceased to be the home of the wealthy rulers and
was opened to the general public. The building was bombed in 1943
during WWII and later restored. One of the most stunning rooms is the
Hall of the Caryatides (Sala delle Cariatidi) which was the only part of
the structure to survive unscathed by the bombing. The palace is
adorned with rich tapestries, decorated ceilings, chandeliers and
murals.
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0.0 KM, 1 minutes by walking
11:05 Milan Cathedral Rating: Religious Sites
Visit Time: 1 hour
The Duomo di Milano is the city's main Catholic place of worship, it is
located in the center of Milan with the city streets radiating and circling
the cathedral and the square where it is located. It is one of the largest
and more famous cathedrals in the world. Construction of the
cathedral began in 1386 with the help of Milan's first duke, Gian
Galeazzo Visconti. The duke made all of the most valuable resources
available so that the edifice would be the greatest in the world. In 1418
the cathedral was consecrated, but construction was still underway,
the building process continued until 1813. Up until 1965 finishing
touches were still being added to the church. As the cathedral took so
long to build it was influenced by a number of architectural styles but
overall the general impression is of an elaborate Gothic design.
The cathedral is 157 meters long and can accommodate 40,000
people. The exterior is topped with 135 spires and pinnacles bearing
statues while the central spire is 109 meters from the ground. It is
Address: Via Gaetano Giardino, 2, 20123 Milan,
possible to go up to the roof and get a closer look at the many statues.
In all the building has 3159 statues of which 2245 are on the exterior. Italy
The Madonnina is the most famous of the cathedral statues, a copper Phone Number: 02-7202-3375
figure which stands on the cathedrals central spire.
Admission: Duomo: Free admission. Roof: 5€ by
The exterior is covered with marble and the interior has five naves stairs, 8€ with elevator. Crypt: 2€. Baptistery: 2€.
which each lead to an entrance in the façade. The five entrance doors
Museum: Before its closing, admission was 6€
have panels depicting scenes from the lives of Saints, Mary, the
history of Milan and the history of the construction of the cathedral. adults, 3€ children younger than 18 and seniors
th over 6
Visitors can see the excavations of a 4 century Christian baptistery,
the crypt where the tomb of Cardinal Borromeo is located as well as
the Cathedral Treasury which holds a number of medieval treasures.
The high cross-vaulted ceiling is supported by 52 pillars made up of
clusters of columns and the floor has a bright pattern of different
colored marble. The cathedral holds several pieces of valuable
artwork.
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0.3 KM, 4 minutes by walking
12:10 Piazza del Duomo Rating: Squares
Visit Time: 30 mins
Milan's most popular square is home to the Duomo, the city's
cathedral and is the heart of the city. The rectangular square covers
17,000m² and is surrounded by several important buildings. This area
has been the focal point of the city since the Roman era then in 1859,
when the cathedral was nearing completion, the city held a
competition for the best design for a square in front of the cathedral.
Giuseppe Mengoni's design was chosen, with grand buildings
surrounding the square. Leading off of Cathedral Square is Via
Mercanti which runs to the Piazzo Cordusio and the covered Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele II arcade connecting the square with Piazza della
Scala.
The Gothic white marble Duomo is the focus of the square but the
square is also surrounded by the Palazzo Settentrionale with a
triumphal arch leading to the 5 storey high Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
II arcade; the Royal Palace of Milan; the Palazzo Meridionale; Palazzo
Address: Piazza del Duomo, Milan
dell'Arenario; Palazzo Carminati and two symmetrical modernist
buildings known as the propylaea. The floor of the square has a
beautiful mosaic pattern.
At the center of the square stands a monument to the first king of
unified Italy, Victor Emmanuele II created by Ercole Rosa. The
equestrian monument was installed in 1896 and stands upon a marble
pedestal with lions on either side.
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0.1 KM, 2 minutes by walking
12:40 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Rating: Museums
Visit Time: 1 hour
Milan's elegant shopping mall is within buildings lining two arcades
which form a cross-shape. Giuseppe Mengoni designed the structure
in 1877 when he was chosen to redesign the historic area between
Piazza della Scala and the Duomo. The purpose built structure was an
immediate success and earned the nickname the "Salon of Milan" as it
was a popular gathering place.
Shoppers can walk through the large arched opening on Piazza del
Duomo which resembles a triumphal arch and along the 196 meter
long arcade or the shorter 105.5 meter arcade. The arcades are
flanked by four-storey high buildings with facades resembling a grand
palace. The arcades have a high curved glass and iron ceiling and a
marble mosaic tiled floor. At the point where the two arcades meet the
ceiling has a 36 meter wide glass dome 47 meters above an octagonal
central piazza. The Galleria has patriotic symbols in the decoration,
mosaics and murals; on the façade are statues of Italy's greatest
Address: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 20121
scientists and artists.
Milan, Italy
Shops line the walkways which lead through the arcades; the stores
Transportation: Metro: Duomo
have large glass windows and house exclusive brands like Louis
Vuitton, Vittorio Emanuele, Umberto Boccione, David Campari, Gucci
and Prada. The shopping mall in this historic building is also home to
some of the city's most well known and oldest cafes and restaurants
like Biffi Caffe (1867), Savini, Camparino and Zucca's Bar. The stores
in the Galleria sell predominantly luxury goods, jewelry, books and art.
It is the heart of haute couture fashions and designer jewelry; you can
also find art galleries selling the next-big-thing. Several well known
retailers in the mall include the Bernasconi silverware store, the art
bookshop Libreria Bocca which dates back to the 1800s and Feltrinelli,
one of Italy's largest stores.
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0.2 KM, 2 minutes by walking
13:40 Teatro alla Scala Rating: Opera House
Visit Time: 1 hour
La Scala opera house is a world famous venue, the original building
was designed by Giuseppe Piermarini and opened in 1778. In the
1800s the productions of Vincenzo Bellini and Rossini graced the
stage and ballet was introduced to the theatre's repertoire. Giuseppe
Verdi is the composer most associated with La Scala and the success
of his operas at La Scala not only brought him success but also made
the theatre and opera in general more popular. From 1867 to 1957
renowned conductor Arturo Toscanini was La Scala's artistic director.
The world's opera greats have performed at La Scala over the years
including the three tenors, Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi.
Performing at La Scala has become a sign that an opera singer had
"made it."
La Scala has 3,000 seats in the pit stalls and in six tiers of seating in
boxes around the auditorium. Above the seating areas are two
galleries or loggione for standing room only. The stage is one of the
Address: Piazza della Scala, Via Filodrammatici,
largest in the country and the auditorium is richly decorated.
Renovations on the building were completed in 2004, a larger 2, Milan
backstage area was added, the thick red carpets were removed and Phone Number: +39 02 7200 3744
the technical aspect of the venue was greatly improved.
Admission: 6€
There is a La Scala Museum accessed from the theatre lobby, in the Opening Hours: Museum 9:00am - 12.30pm,
museum are several halls displaying historic artifacts connected with
1:00pm-5.30pm daily
opera and the theatre. There is a collection of paintings, antique
musical instruments, exhibits about the theatre's architecture, busts of Web: www.teatroallascala.org
famous composers and conductors, a section on Commedia dell'Arte,
a collection of ceramics related to the theatre, displays devoted to
famous personalities from the theatre's history like Verdi, mementos
from famous productions, documents relating to the theatre, set
design and a section on theatre games. Visitors to the museum can
look down into the theatre auditorium and it is possible to take behind
the scenes tours of La Scala.
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0.9 KM, 11 minutes by walking
San Maurizio al Monastero
14:50 Rating: Religious Sites
Maggiore
Visit Time: 1 hour
This Milan church was formally the church of a Benedictine convent
today the convent is an archaeological museum and the church is
used by locals and as a concert venue. The church interior is one of
the most stunningly beautiful in the city with frescoes covering every
surface and bursting with color. The church took 12 years to complete
and was inaugurated in 1515. The church was designed by Gian
Giacomo Dolcebuono and completed by Solari; it was constructed on
ancient Roman ruins. The rectangular church has a barrel vaulted
ceiling with decorative ribs, the hall is divided into a public area where
the main altar is located and an area for the nuns (the Hall of Nuns)
where the choir is located. There is an impressive organ dating back
to the 1500s designed by Antegnati with decoration by Francesco
Medici da Seregno. The breathtaking frescoes where painted in three
different cycles. With most being created after 1530. One of the
stand-out murals is by Bernardino Luini, one of da Vinci's students. In
the Simonetta Chapel you can see the work of the Piazza family and
Address: Corso Magenta, 15, Milan, Italy
the paintings on the partition wall were painted by Simone Peterzano
in 1573. The painting on the altar is The Adoration of the Magi created Phone Number: +39 02 85561
in 1578 by Antonio Campi. Outside the church you can see some of Admission: free
the remains of the original structure in the form of two Romanic
Opening Hours: Tue - Sun 9.30am - 5:30pm
towers.
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0.6 KM, 8 minutes by walking
16:00 Santa Maria delle Grazie Rating: Religious Sites
Visit Time: 1 hour
This church in the Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie is home to
Leonardo da Vinci's fresco The Last Supper which is within the
Cenacolo Viniciano building. The artist spent from 1495 to 1497
painting the scene of Jesus last meal with the disciples before his
arrest. The painting is in the former Dominican convent's refractory
and over the course of time has suffered from damp walls, the fumes
and dirt from the convent kitchen, Napoleons troops using the wall for
target practice, WWII bombing, exposure to the elements and bad
restoration efforts in the 18 th and 19 th century. So the painting is not
in the greatest condition but is still one of the most iconic images in
art. In an attempt to preserve the painting a limited number of people
are allowed into the room where the fresco is at any one time. Viewers
are checked to make sure they are not carrying anything that could
contaminate or damage the painting before being let into the room. It
is also necessary to buy tickets in advance and often long lines form
waiting to go in. In addition to the Last Supper the church is worth Phone Number: Last Supper: 02-9280-0362,
taking a look at, it was completed in 1490 by Guiniforte Solari and later
Church: 02-467-6111
additions were made by Donato Bramante including the dome. The
vaults have frescos dating back to the original construction of the Admission: The Last Supper: 6.50€ plus a booking
building and the church has beautiful cloisters. Don’t miss the door of fee of 1.50€. 3.25€ plus 1.50€ booking fee for EU
the church which dates back to 1463.
citizens 18 to 25. EU citizens under 18 and over
65 pay only the booking fee. Church: Free
admission
Opening Hours: Last Supper: Tue-Sun
8:15am-7:00pm. Church: Mon-Sat 7:30am-noon
and 3-7:00pm. Sun 7:20am-12:15pm and
3:30-9:00pm (may close earlier in winter)
Web: http://www.cenacolovinciano.org
Transportation: Metro: Cardona or Conciliazione
2.8 KM, 18 minutes by transit
Best Western Plus Hotel Felice
17:20
Casati
Address: Via Felice Casati 18 Stazione Centrale 20124
Milan
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