Aart Heering
A lot has been written about it lately Milan on this site. Rightly so, because in addition to being the capital of creative and active Italy, Milan has also increasingly become a tourist destination.
Almost 7 million visitors attracted the city last year, 10% more than in 2017. You can see it well at the Dom, for which you can now regularly find rows reminiscent of those in front of St. Peter's. A few years ago, that really wasn't the case.
Starbucks
A little further on, in Piazza Cordusio, there is also a queue tens of meters long in front of the antique former post office, which has been open for six months. Italy's first Starbucks is situated. Not because the American brew is so much tastier than a native espresso, but because Starbucks in and you must have been there. Milan is simply a fashion city.
Transformation
The transformation of Milan is related to the Exhibition, the successful 2015 World Exhibition, on the occasion of which a large part of the car-free center is made. Piazza del Duomo, the elegant shopping street Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Dante, which leads from the Duomo to the Castello Sforzesco (one of the most beautiful castles in Italy), the castle of the medieval lords of Milan, are become one big pedestrian zone, on which, in good weather, Milanese and outdoor people come by the thousands to shop, stroll, eat and drink.
It gets completely full later in the year, during the Milan Design Week in April and the Settimana della Moda, the Milan Fashion Week in September. Then the whole city becomes one big fair with wonderful installations, dazzling shows, eccentrically dressed people and breathtaking models, and there is no longer an affordable hotel room in all of Milan.
Dock
Also in 2015 refurbished the Darsena. the 17ecentury port of Milan had for years degenerated into a filthy mud puddle into which everything was thrown haphazardly. Now it's a small lake again with a brand new quay and boulevard. The water is also clean, but there is far too little: it is only a handful high as a result of the ongoing drought, which means that supplies from Lake Como and the Lake Maggiore almost ceased.
You can also see that the Navigli, the canals leading to the Darsena that connected Milan until the last century with the rivers Po and Adda, and thus also with the Adriatic Sea. The Navigli have been a popular entertainment center for decades, with restaurants such as the Trattoria Milanese, where you can still enjoy dishes from the Milanese poor kitchen can find as insalata di nervetti, based on cartilage boiled in water with vinegar and shredded, and the original beef marrow prepared risotto al midollo. (Drink a wine from the region like the cold red Bonarda or a white Lugana.)
Corso di Porta Ticenese
In addition to the Darsena, the Corso di Porta Ticenese from the city gate of the same name to the Domplein. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the most interesting streets in the city, relatively narrow, flanked by eateries and shops of all kinds and accessible only to pedestrians, the tram and the occasional cyclist.
Lying on the right two beautiful basilicas from the fourth century: the Sant'Eustorgio, with the beautiful richly colored Cappella Portinari, and the San Lorenzo. Opposite the latter is another classic gem, the Colonnata of San Lorenzo, a gallery of Corinthian columns from the second century, at the foot of which natives and tourists chat, eat a sandwich and walk the dog: Antiquity perfectly integrated into the modern world.
And when you arrive at the end of the Corso at the Dom and in front of the shiny white marble of a Gothic buttress a profusely blooming magnolia you will realize that Milan is also quite a beautiful city!
CityLife
But Milan is also a hypermodern city, where one architectural masterpiece after another is produced. Just a few years ago, the revolutionary new construction around the Stazione Garibaldi – Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Torri Garibaldi, the Bosco Verticale, the new Palazzo della Regione Garibaldi – completed or a brand new district is ready: CityLife.
You arrive via the 'purple line' of the metro at the station which is aptly called Tre Torri. The district is dominated by three huge office towers – up to 231 meters high – designed by architects of equally great names: Zara Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Arata Isozaki.
Impressive and almost frightening, but well worth it, also because you are back with the metro in no time. These are also the things that strike you as a Roman in Milan: public transport works, the city is clean and you can take a shared bike everywhere.
Leonardo da Vinci
This year it will be extra busy in Milan because of the 500e anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, who spent 20 years of his life here, designed the Navigli and Last Supper painted. If you want to see that, it is best to book well in advance via the internet, otherwise it will be nothing.
A surrogate I accidentally got into, devoted to the relationship between Leonardo and Andy Warhol, is definitely not worth it. But the location, the medieval crypt of the Chiesa del San Sepolcro (Holy Sepulcher Church) is and for those who are interested: in the police station opposite it founded Mussolini exactly a century ago, on March 23, 1919, his fascist movement.
science Museum
The exhibition (until May 19) by Theo Jansens is much more fun Dream Beasts in the beautiful, named after Leonardo, science Museum. The wonderful creatures of this Dutchman, presented as 'modern Leonardo', have been drawing full houses for weeks.
And while you are there, right next door, currently a bit difficult to reach due to the construction of a new metro, you should definitely also visit the impressive Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (Ambrose), Church Father and Patron Saint of Milan.
Triennial
But the most beautiful exhibition of the moment is the one in the Triennial, the in tight fascist architectural style erected temple of art and design. Until September 1 runs here BrokenNature, dedicated to the broken relationship between man and nature and the solutions that design can provide. Well, there are quite a few!
The designs range from videos about the exploitation of the jungle, the search for 'white spots' without Wi-Fi on the world map (in the Dutch pavilion), a toilet that separates urine from water for fertilization and ironic robots that feed babies already in the cradle. entering the cyber age.
The 5 most famous sights in Milan
This is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world! Its construction was started in the 14th century, and all the details of this masterpiece have been built up to the 20th century. If you are not afraid of heights, you can also climb this Duomo, after which you will be rewarded with a spectacular view over the city of Milan.
This is a 15th century church with associated monastery, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This status is due to the world famous fresco 'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci. Do arrange tickets in advance if you want to visit the church!
This castle is one of the most famous monuments of the city of Milan. The structure consists of four meters thick walls, towers, moats and drawbridges. The last unfinished work of Michelangelo hangs in the museum.
This theater is the most famous and one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. It is therefore not easy to get tickets for a performance! Fortunately, you can enter the adjacent museum to view all kinds of interesting photos, posters and other theater attributes.
This is a covered shopping street that leads from the Duomo Square to the Piazza delle Scala. The mosaic floor is inlaid with rare marble. A large glass dome gives the entire passage a very special incidence of light.
Anyway, reasons enough to come to Milan!
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