The Duomo of Milan is one of the most spectacular and largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Built as a symbol of the city's strength and grandeur, the cathedral project was originally considered unachievable and even became synonymous with a never-ending undertaking.  Its construction, in fact, was begun by Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1386 and lasted more than six centuries.
In addition to being the largest and most complex Gothic building in Italy, the cathedral is the religious building that houses the largest number of statues: the most famous of all is the Madonnina golden statue, located on the top of the cathedral.4 meters high, the Madonnina is also a lightning rod protecting the city.One of the things you cannot miss is going up to the terraces where you can enjoy an exclusive view of the city.

How to visit the Cathedral?
The Duomo is located in the heart of Milan, just 1 minute walk from our aparthotel. You can visit it every day from 8am to 7pm.

We strongly recommend purchasing the ticket to the roof terraces, the Duomo and the underground archaeological area at an approximate cost of €25. You can purchase them here.

It is the best way to save (a lot) of time during your holidays in Milan.

From Piazza del Duomo, along the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, you will arrive directly in Piazza della Scala. Elegant in its sobriety, Piazza della Scala is one of the most famous squares in the historic center of Milan.
The most famous monument in the square is the one dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. It was sculpted by Pietro Magni in 1872 to commemorate Leonardo's talent, skill and contribution to the world of art.
La Scala Theater is one of the greatest opera house, house to one of the most important singers of all time: Maria Callas. If you want to see a concert, an opera or a ballet at the La Scala Theatre, you can purchase the tickets directly from the official website.
‍Fun fact: the Teatro alla Scala was the first public building to be illuminated by electricity in Milan, thanks to Edison.
The central chandelier was made up of 383 bulbs. It was 1883.The external facade is quite simple, but its interior is famous throughout the world for being truly sumptuous. I therefore recommend you visit it if you have the opportunity! If you want to book a guided tour of the Opera and the museum here is the link.
‍Also in this case, booking in advance is the best way to save time and money!

Photo source: Di Nessun autore leggibile automaticamente. Samoano~commonswiki presunto (secondo quanto affermano i diritti d'autore). - Nessuna fonte leggibile automaticamente. Presunta opera propria (secondo quanto affermano i diritti d'autore)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=302086

Se prendete per Via Dante da Piazza del Duomo, arriverete direttamente all’ingresso principale del Castello Sforzesco, altro monumento simbolo di Milano.
Questo castello decisamente imponente è situato nel centro della città ed è uno dei più grandi castelli d’Europa. Oggi è sede di musei e istituzioni culturali, ma anche un luogo affascinante in cui passare un po’ di tempo per ammirare i grandi cortili, le mura, i fossati, le torri e poi fare un giro sulle merlate e nel suo grandissimo parco, il Parco Sempione (immenso giardino all’inglese, considerato il “polmone verde” della città).
Il castello sforzesco ospita una delle più vaste collezioni artistiche della città. Qui puoi trovare il Museo d’Arte Antica; la Pinacoteca; il Museo delle Arti Decorative; la collezione di strumenti musicali tra le più grandi d’Europa; gli Arazzi Trivulzio; l’Armeria; il Museo della Preistoria e Protostoria.

CURIOSITÀ
Secondo la leggenda, dai sotterranei del Castello partirebbe un tunnel segreto che, attraversando la città, sbucherebbe nella Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. A farlo costruire sarebbe stato Ludovico il Moro, signore della città, come via di fuga o per arrivare inosservato nella chiesa dove si trovava la tomba della moglie Beatrice d’Este, per cui fece costruire qui un mausoleo.

Come visitare il Castello Sforzesco?
Ingresso libero ai cortili dalle h. 07.00 alle 19.30.
Musei del Castello Sforzesco: martedì-domenica ore 10-17.30 (ultimo biglietto ore 16.30; ultimo ingresso ad ogni singolo Museo/sezione ore 17)Biglietto intero € 5,00; biglietto ridotto € 3,00 (18-25 anni e over 65).
‍
Audioguida € 5,00, in vendita presso il Bookshop.
‍
Ogni weekend alle ore 11 visite guidate ai Musei senza prenotazione: al sabato in lingua inglese, alla domenica in italiano. Tariffa unica 17€ (incluso biglietto dei Musei), ritrovo alle ore 10,45 a Info point.
‍Per informazioni o per acquistare i biglietti clicca qui o contattaci direttamente: saremo lieti di aiutarti!

If you take Via Dante from Piazza del Duomo, you will arrive directly at the main entrance of the Sforzesco Castle, another symbolic monument of Milan.
This decidedly impressive castle is located in the center of the city and is one of the largest castles in Europe. Today it is home to museums and cultural institutions, but also a fascinating place in which to spend some time admiring the large courtyards, the walls, the moats, the towers and then taking a tour of the battlements and its huge park, the Parco Sempione (immense English garden, considered the "green lung" of the city).
The Sforza castle houses one of the largest artistic collections in the city. Here you can find the Museum of Ancient Art; the Art Gallery; the Museum of Decorative Arts; the collection of musical instruments among the largest in Europe; the Trivulzio Tapestries; the Armory; the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory.

CURIOSITY
According to legend, a secret tunnel would start from the basement of the Castle which, crossing the city, would come out in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It would have been built by Ludovico il Moro, lord of the city, as an escape route or to arrive unnoticed in the church where the tomb of his wife Beatrice d'Este was located, for whom he had a mausoleum built here.

How to visit the Sforzesco Castle?
Free entry to the courtyards from h. 07.00 to 19.30Sforzesco Castle Museums: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5.30pm (last ticket 4.30pm; last entry to each individual museum/section at 5pm)
Full ticket €5.00; reduced ticket €3.00 (18-25 years and over 65).
Audio guide €5.00, on sale at the Bookshop.

Every weekend at 11 am guided tours of the Museums without reservation: on Saturdays in English, on Sundays in Italian.  Single rate €17 (including museum ticket), meeting at 10.45 am at Info point.
For information or to purchase tickets click here or contact us directly: we will be happy to help you!

The Navigli district is one of the most loved and well-known in Milan, for its beauty and the lively nightlife that characterizes it.

Art lovers are spoiled for choice: concentrated in the same area, you quickly move from the exhibitions of the MUDEC - Museum of Cultures to Armani Silos, also touching on BASE Milano, a creative and experimental hub.

Hidden in the alleys overlooking the canals, to immerse ourselves in the most authentic and poetic soul of the Navigli, we cannot help but visit the Engraving Center or the Spazio Alda Merini, the house museum in honor of the poetess of the Navigli par excellence.

Furthermore, it is impossible to leave out the gastronomic scene. In addition to offering food from every corner of the world with the Covered Municipal Market, the Navigli are also famous for the many places where you can enjoy the fantastic Milanese aperitif, better known as aperitif.

Lovers of vintage and antiques cannot miss the large market held every Sunday in the Naviglio Grande.

Reachable in 15 minutes on foot from the Duomo, the Brera district

Among the places of greatest cultural interest that you can find here is Palazzo Brera, home to one of the first public museums of Italian art, the Pinacoteca di Brera. Founded in 1776 with the collection of works from the territories conquered during the Napoleonic period, today it is an ancient and modern art gallery, which houses one of the largest and most prestigious artistic collections in Italy. Then climbing to the roof of the building leads to the historic Brera Astronomical Observatory, the oldest scientific institution in Milan.

Walking through streets rich in history and elegant buildings, one of the most fascinating green corners of the entire city opens up: the Botanical Garden. Having become a historic garden, it is characterized by bright colors and a unique variety of bushes, flowers, trees and plants of all kinds.

Vintage lovers cannot miss the Brera Market, every third Sunday of the month.
BRERA PINACOTECA Among the most famous masterpieces, you can admire "The Marriage of the Virgin" by Raphael or "The Supper at Emmaus" by Caravaggio.
BreraCARD No longer a simple ticket but a card, a real season ticket
• €15.00 full price€
· 10.00 Reduced With these 2 types of subscription, full and reduced, you will receive the BreraCARD, a virtual nominal card which will entitle you to return to the Art Gallery an unlimited number of times for three months (always with mandatory reservation on BreraBooking.org) and to access BreraPLUS+ for one year, the online platform that enriches the museum experience with multimedia content, documentaries, special programs, concerts, premieres and much more.
· Ticket purchase on: brerabooking.org (with reservation required).

La Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, situata nel cuore di milano è senza ombra di dubbio la chiesa più famosa di Milano, ed è nota per ospitare uno dei più bei capolavori mai realizzati, il dipinto dell’Ultima Cena di Leonardo da Vinci: il capolavoro immortale patrimonio dell’Unesco. Essa rappresenta il momento in cui Gesù annuncia ai suoi discepoli che uno di loro lo tradirà, creando un’onda di sgomento da parte dei partecipanti all’Ultima Cena.
‍
Ma l’opera di Leonardo non è l’unica cosa da ammirare qui: la meravigliosa chiesa offre una visita che catapulta negli anni della grande potenza di Milano. Un periodo storico di grande splendore per la città, che conosce un fiorire d’arte e cultura senza eguali con i governi dei Visconti e degli Sforza.
‍
E' richiesta una prenotazione anticipata. I biglietti finiscono prestissimo, per questo consigliamo di acquistarli con largo anticipo! Puoi acquistarlo online qui o direttamente quioppure contattateci... ce ne occuperemo noi!

The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, located in the heart of Milan, is without a doubt the most famous church in Milan, and is known for hosting one of the most beautiful masterpieces ever created, the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci:  the immortal masterpiece UNESCO heritage. It represents the moment in which Jesus announces to his disciples that one of them will betray him, creating a wave of dismay on the part of the participants at the Last Supper.

But Leonardo's work is not the only thing to admire here: the marvelous church offers a visit that catapults you into the years of Milan's great power. A historical period of great splendor for the city, which experienced an unparalleled flourishing of art and culture with the governments of the Viscontis and the Sforzas.

Advance booking is required. Tickets sell out very quickly, which is why we recommend purchasing them well in advance! You can buy it online here or directly hereor contact us... we'll take care of it!

Photo spource: Di Marcin Białek - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28012972

For shopping lovers, we recommend going to the Fashion District made up of the following 4 streets: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea and Via Manzoni.
It is the luxury shopping district of Milan, known throughout the world. Main streets across the world, the annual report which lists the most important streets for shopping, every year awards the Fashion Quadrilatero among the top positions in the ranking, in the same way as Fifth Avenue in New York and Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris. The famous Via Montenapoleone is on the second step of the podium in 2023.Every year, ‘Main Streets Across the World’, the annual report that lists the most important shopping streets worldwide, ranks the Fashion Quadrilateral amongst the top positions along with Fifth Avenue in New York and Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris. The famous Via Montenapoleone was on the second step of the podium in 2023.

Photo source: Di Geobia - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37813984

A guided tour of Milan’s Cimitero Monumentale, on a sunny afternoon or on a winter’s day, maybe even when night starts to fall! All times of the day are good to visit this spectacular open-air museum! The atmosphere is already there….disturbing and gloomy for some, strangely and inexplicably calm for others, surrounded by silence, kneeling figures in marble or bronze and monumental tombs of illustrious figures,  in a mystical and spiritual, almost magical, aura.

‍Historical figures and artists of international fame in the Cimitero Monumentale

‍The itinerary starts from the entrance, dominated by the Famedio, initially conceived as a church but then transformed as it was being built into the Pantheon of illustrious Milanese men and women; historical figures of Milan like Alessandro Manzoni or famous contemporaries such as Enzo Iannacci and Franca Rame now rest inside.
All times of the day are good to visit this spectacular open-air museum! The atmosphere is already there….disturbing and gloomy for some, strangely and inexplicably calm for others, surrounded by silence, kneeling figures in marble or bronze and monumental tombs of illustrious figures,  in a mystical and spiritual, almost magical, aura.
The itinerary starts from the entrance, dominated by the Famedio, initially conceived as a church but then transformed as it was being built into the Pantheon of illustrious Milanese men and women; historical figures of Milan like Alessandro Manzoni or famous contemporaries such as Enzo Iannacci and Franca Rame now rest inside. We will be visiting a real “open-air museum” thanks to its artistic masterpieces, the work of the most important sculptors and architects of the past two centuries, from Antonio Canova to Arnaldo Pomodoro, from Ulisse Stacchini to Giò Ponti and Gae Aulenti. Mysteries, enigmas,  tombs and impressive sculptures that reveal curious handles to hold on to, to enter the underground crypts! Contrasts of perspective and effects of the light which make this very particular place very varied and lively.
‍
Opening hours:
· Monday from Tuesday to Sunday
· Closed 08:00 - 18:00
Free entry

Photo source: Di Paolobon140 - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53764702