Architectural masterpieces and spellbinding window displays, all within a few square meters
The hub of the old city of Milan is the cathedral, the third biggest in the world, which dominates and dwarfs everything around it. The exterior, described by D.H. Lawrence as "an elaborate wedding cake", is a mix of pink, grey, peach and fawn marble topped by 135 spires. From the top of the highest (108.5metres) a gilded bronze figure of the Virgin looks down upon the city.
Behind the elaborate facades the interior is no less monumental. The floors are covered in white marble ornamented with red and black. The carving and decoration is heavy. The stained glass is splendid. And there are a multitude of interesting works of art, the most notable of which are the Gian Giacomo Medici tomb by Leone Leoni and D'Agrate's grotesque representation of St. Bartholomew. Take time to visit the roof for an unforgettable view from amongst the gleaming spires.
Next to the Cathedral is the Palazzo Reale, now an art gallery showing work from the medieval period to the 20thcentury (don't miss Medardo Rosso's wax children). Originally the city hall in Medieval times the Palazzo was home over the centuries to the Torrani, Visconti, and Sforzas. It was reconstructed by Piermarini in Neoclassical style but badly bombed in the Second World War - only the original hall remains.
As if in antithesis to the dominance of the cathedral, Italy's commercial prosperity is celebrated in the nearby ''"Galleria"'. Elaborate decorations look down upon this marble paved concourse, beneath massive iron and glass vaulted roofs. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II was designed by Guiseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877. With its upmarket shops, cafes and restaurants this is one of Milan's most fashionable places to be seen.
The Galleria leads the way to exclusivity of a different sort, represented by the world's most famous opera house - La Scala. Composers such as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi made their debuts here. Some of the greatest conductors and singers have worked in this auditorium. The theatre was completely renovated between 2001 and 2004. You may not be able to enjoy an opera, but you can see the sumptuous interior with a ticket from the Scala Museum.
Travelling South West now from the Cathedral, you reach the Basilica of St Ambrogio, one of the oldest churches in Milan and one of the most medieval buildings in Lombardy. St Ambrose consecrated the church in 386 and in 397 was laid to rest here alongside the martyred St. Gervase and St. Pratsus. In 739 a Benedictine Monastery was built and later two towers were added to each side of the Basilica. A three arched loggia, which leads to the vast porticoed atrium, completed the building in 1889. Valuable mosaics and frescos adorn the interior.
Another religious complex, the church and convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie is custodian of one of the most famous works of art in the world - Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper". The painting, which is include in UNESCO's World Heritage list, hangs on the end wall of the convent's refectory. Opposite the Leonardo is Giovanni Donato Montefano's "Crucifixion". The church and convent were completed in 1469 and are in a combination of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Bombing in 1943 destroyed much of the buildings but "the Las Supper" was saved.
To the North of Santa Maria delle Grazie you can see the Castello Sforzesco - rising overpoweringly above the Parco Sempione - its squat round towers, aggressive brickwork, drawbridge and arrow slits reminding us of a turbulent past. Today, inside this mighty fortification, there are beautifully laid out museums and an important art collection which includes the Pieta by Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci frescos.
But perhaps the most famous art collection in Milan is to be found in the impressive Palazzo di Brera. Amongst other treasures hung here are paintings by Mantegna and Piero della Francesca. It is in this district of the Brera and that of Navigli that "the other" Milan "comes out to play" at night.
