Milan, Italy is a beautiful northern city that is filled with many places to visit, from cathedrals to museums to aquariums, there are so many things Milan offers. According to Wikipedia, Milan is one of the world's fashion capitals, because of the many brands that are headquartered here like Prada, Moschino, Versace, Valentino, Zegna, and Armani. There are two international events held here like the Milan Furniture Faire along with Milan Fashion Week. In 2026, Milan will be the host of the Winter Olympics and the Paralympics. In writing this blog, I have read countless websites, and have made a list of attractions that I think would be must-see's if visiting Milan, Italy. This is the start of my Travel Blog series, titled "Best Places to Visit in...".
"The world is yours to explore."
- Unknown
Being the second most populous city with currently 1.37 million people, Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region. According to Britannica, the history stems all the way back to 600 BCE when the area was settled by the Gauls and in 1860, it became part of the unified Italy. Nowadays it is a big economic center, centered around fashion, media, and retail.
Here is a list of some of the best attractions to visit in Milan, Italy...
Duomo di Milano
Duomo di Milano or the Cathedral of Milan is set on a former Roman site, in the center of Milan, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo ordered the first design for a Gothic cathedral in 1386. But wasn’t completed until 1418. After 500 years, the cathedral received its final design changes in 1986. The interior can hold up to 40,000 visitors and has five aisles that stretch from the entrance to the altar. Giant stone pillars fill the inside of the building, with 3,159 images, of that number 2,245 images can be seen on the exterior of the cathedral. The most famous of the statues is the Madonnia (Little Madonna) which is seen on the tallest spire covered with 3,900 pieces of gold leafs. The roof is covered with gargoyles, marble statues, and spires. Inside the cathedral there is said to be a nail that was used for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. With its 126,000 square feet (11,706 sq m) in dimension, it is one of the world's largest cathedrals.
Castello Sforzesco
Centuries ago, Castello Sforzesco brought tyranny and foreign domination, but nowadays it has been reclaimed as a symbol of the city. Between 1360 and 1370, Western Milan Lord Galeazzo Visconti II started to add to the castle along with his successor, Gian Galeazzo who added to it in 1392. It was divided into two parts by a medieval defensive structure. It was then united under a reign, Filippo Maria, which is the last Visconti. And he lived there until his death in 1447. During this time, the castle was 180 meters in length. Around the castle there was a defensive wall, with four square towers. The north-west part of the castle was turned into a garden known as the "barcho" or the "zardinum".
Palazzo Carminati
Palazzo Carminati sits across the street from the Milan Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo. The palace's name came from a popular café, the Carminati. Originally built in the 1860s as a private residence of a famous silver manufacturer named Giacomo Cesati.
During the 20th century, the palace became a landmark in Milan. It was a symbol of economic growth for the city. The people compared it to NYC Times Square because of the neon lights it had used for advertising starting in the 1920s (pictured above). The palace became a popular location due to its appearance in many films on television, including advertisements for Cynar liquor from the 1960s to the 1970s.
Cynar was an Italian liquor known to be served right before dinner that was first released in 1952. Its appearance on the show Carosello in the early 1960s was when it became a staple in Italian meals. It wasn't until Ernesto Calindri was in a commercial for this drink that it became known as the drink "against the strain of modern life". This partnership lasted for about 20 years when it ended in 1984. In 1999, Mayor Gabriele Albertini had the neon signs removed when he ran from 1997 to 2006. He was later criticized for that decision due to his perspective of seeing the neon signs as going against the dignity of the plaza.
Address: P.za del Duomo, Milano MI, Italy
Milan Civic Aquarium
The Milan Civic Aquarium building is inspired by a Viennese Art Nouveau Architectural design, by Sebastiano Locati. He decorated the building to resemble aquatic animals in sea and freshwater environments. In support of the international exhibits, they're both local and exotic sea plants and animals shown in the deco. Between the first-floor windows are majolica tiles by Richard Ginori that represent freshwater plants in lowland areas.
The aquarium holds 10 freshwater and 12 saltwater tanks, which take you on a journey from the waters of the alpine springs to 30 meters in the sea. The tanks are designed with the original environment in mind, so it copies the same plants and fish that would be found there in real life. Over 50 animal species live here from mountain streams to Lake Como, the place is filled with many habitats. Along the journey through the different habitats, you will find a glass tunnel tank that houses leopard sharks and stingrays that will be able to swim above your head when you walk through. At the back of the aquarium is a garden that anyone can walk through that shares what the typical ecosystem looks like in the Po Valley.
The water tanks are carefully measured 24/7 on the quality of water. Along with checkups from the vet daily, these animals are taken care of with great delicacy.
Museo delle Illusioni
According to the Milan's Museum of Illusions Website, Museo delle Illusioni (Museum of Illusions) offers guests the exploration of physics, psychology, science, mathematics, and/or biology. With over 70 attractions including an Infinity room that is a room fully covered with mirrors that reflect off each other making the room look huge, an Ames room with distorted effects for visual illusions, a Vortex Tunnel, Beuchet chair Illusion which makes you look small while you are sitting on this special chair, a turntable that creates kinetic optical Illusions using the black and white color scheme, a kaleidoscope that plays with shapes and colors, a "head on the platter" illusion, and many more. Seeing this museum in person is one of the only ways to know fully how amazing this place is, and all of what it offers.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Milan offers a lot of activities to do like shopping at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is a beautiful shopping center which was built between 1865 and 1877. It is made of two arcades that are in the shape of a latin cross. Covered in a dome that is made of glass and iron. Inside there are many stores like, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc., along with many restaurants. When looking up Milan, this place popped up a lot. It's a very popular place, so check it out if you have the time. Plus, it’s a great place to snap a few pics.
Civica Galleria D'arte Moderna
The Civica Galleria D'arte Moderna museum houses over 47,000 works of sculptures, paintings, photos, etc., with artists like Medardo Rosso, Andy Warhol, and Pelizza da Volpedo.
The history of this building dates back to WWII when it was demolished and later repaired in 1959 by the designers Carlo Bassi and Goffredo Boschetti. Closed again due to redevelopment on the first and second floors in the '80s, it reopened in the early '90s with a new video library showcasing old art films. This project added disability-accessible options with more space on both floors.
This museum has been a part of another museum Foundazine Torino Musei since 2003. If you love art history, defiantly check it out.
Pinacoteca Di Brera
With the official establishment in 1776, this museum of Pinacoteca Di Brera was born from all the works of art from all of the areas conquered by the French armies. It is a product of a deliberate policy decision. This museum shows off paintings that date back to the 15th century and 18th century.
This building was built on top of the remains of a monastery built in the 14th century for the Humiliati order, which was later on given to the Jesuits, who created a school there. Early 17th century Francesco Maria Richini turned it into an austere designed building that is still seen today.
The museum of Pinacoteca Di Brera offers a collection online here.
Porta Ticinese
The Porta Ticinese is a former city gate which was originally created in the 16th century then later destroyed and rebuilt in the 19th century. Referred to the Ticino river, meaning "Gate to the Ticino", this is a historical location that is best seen in person.
Luigi Cagnola initially built it between 1801 and 1813. It is one of the only pieces of evidence from the 11th-century Milanese walls, combined with the arches of the Porta Nova, located in Via Manzoni, and six other gates in Milan. This is one of many popular tourist locations in Milan for photos.
Planetario di Milano
The Planetario di Milano is set in the historical city park Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli with around 100,000 visitors each year. It is one of the most essential and largest planetariums in Italy, with 300 seats available inside, offering star-gazing tours for all ages to enjoy.
The 19.6-meter octagonal building projects the 1930s skyline on a dome-shaped screen with the help of the Zeiss IV star projector which they started using in the 1968. (Note: Not every show is in English, so check before deciding which show to see.)
Teatro alla Scala
Teatro alla Scala is the most famous opera house in the world. Built between 1776 to 1778 on the church site of Santa Maria Della Scala. It holds a total of 2,030 visitors in the theater offering many shows to enjoy, along with a museum attached to the Teatro alla Scala. On the Teatro alla Scala website, it offers a virtual tour of the Museo Teatrale alla Scala Opera theatre here. It is worth checking out if you want to see for yourself what it would look like in person. For the full schedule click here.
Milan is a go-to place to visit
Milan is filled with unlimited activities for all ages. I would recommend checking out all the attractions Milan has to offer the next time you visit. I love writing about places that hold rich histories like Milan.
With these other attractions like the Leonardo3 - IL Mondo di Leonardo museum showcasing the creations from Leonardo da Vinci, the Como Cathedral a catholic church that began construction in 1396, the Royal Palace of Milan that holds over 1,000 pieces of art set in the Piazza del Duomo near the Milan cathedral, and many more locations like the Orto Botanico di Brera which is a botanical garden exhibit in central Milan, or even the Museo del Design Italiano: 100 years of Triennale History which covers Italian history with over 300 pieces of artwork, documents, and photographs, are all places I didn't list in this blog, but are also great places to visit in Milan. I will be writing about these places in part 2, so follow my Pinterest for all the latest blog posts.
Thanks for reading! If you want to read more about Milan, Italy, check out part 2 here.
"Time is short. Take time to travel."
- Unknown
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All sources used in this blog are linked below. All credit goes to the authors of the websites. The information in this blog is a reworded paraphrase of the info in theses websites.
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