Milan, italy
Attractions Guide

Milan is the second largest city in Italy, and the capital of the Northern Italian region of Lombardy, located just below the Italian Alps and the beautiful Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. The city of Milan is synonymous with the fashion industry, with headquarters for Gucci, Versace, Prada, Armani, and more.

Milan is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s famous mural of The Last Supper, and hosts many amazing churches, museums, and other attractions. You’ll find an interesting mix of historic buildings and ultramodern architecture around the exceptionally wealthy city of Milan.

Among Milan’s most iconic attractions is the breathtaking Duomo di Milano (or Milan Cathedral), with its stunningly intricate gothic architecture. Interestingly, the cathedral was under construction for nearly 600 years and was not completed until 1965. The Milan Cathedral is also larger than the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, and is the fourth largest church in the world.

Inside the Milan Cathedral is a vast room with towering columns, filled with religious artworks. Be sure to climb to the Milan Cathedral’s rooftop terrace, where you can appreciate a marvelous display of large gothic spires and pinnacles, as well as amazing views. The architectural elements atop the cathedral roof are highly elaborate and photogenic.

The Milan Cathedral is located on the Piazza del Duomo, along with two more of Milan’s top attractions, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Royal Palace of Milan.

Royal Palace of Milan

Across from the Milan Cathedral is the 18th century Royal Palace of Milan, built in grandiose neoclassical style. Within the palace you can see shifting temporary exhibitions, usually consisting of international art or cultural exhibits. Unfortunately much of the palace was damaged during WWII, and so many of its original stately interiors no longer exist.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Among the most beautiful buildings in Milan is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, an elegant arcade-style shopping mall located across from the Milan Cathedral. Among the galleria’s most incredible features its its roof, displaying highly elaborate geometric patterns with a mix of glass and iron.

The Galleria was built in the 19th century, and today it hosts many upscale shops, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. It’s recommend to see this majestic structures both during the day and at night when it is brilliantly illuminated.

Teatro alla Scala

Behind Milan’s Galleria is the Teatro all Scalla, an extravagant 18th century theatre. To this day the theatre hosts world-renowned operas, ballets, orchestras, and other performances. You can also book a tour to see the lavishly decorated interior of the theatre without seeing a show if you like.

As one of the fashion capitals of the world, many tourists are drawn to Milan for shopping, and Central Milan is full of designer clothing stores and boutiques.

Among Milan’s top attractions is the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Church of Holy Mary of Grace), a UNESCO world heritage site known for its famous mural of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The exterior of this 15th century church / Dominican convent is very beautiful as well, displaying Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles.

Be sure to book your tour to visit Santa Maria delle Grazie in advance, since it draws an enormous amount of tourists wishing to see da Vinci’s massive mural of The Last Supper. The church is located on the western side of Central Milan, near the Sfrozesco Castle.

Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore

One of Milan’s oldest churches is the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore, a massive basilica originally constructed in the 4th century. Interestingly, this basilica contains a mix of buildings and towers from different time periods, giving it a very unique look, especially from its backside.

Columns of San Lorenzo

In front of the basilica are Milan’s famous Colonne di San Lorenzo (Columns of San Lorenzo), consisting of 16 ancient Roman marble columns in a row, forming a grand colonnade. The columns are believed to have been part of an ancient Roman bath house or Pagan temple.

Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio

Another of Milan’s ancient churches, the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, is perhaps the most photogenic church in Milan. This beautiful Romanesque-style basilica is best known for its stunning courtyard surrounded by arches, with its two large bell towers behind it. The basilica also contains intricate ancient frescoes.

Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

Milan’s Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore is a former Benedictine convent of nuns, located near the Sforzesco Castle. This church is known for its strikingly intricate and beautiful frescoes and designs covering its walls and ceilings. Most of these frescoes cover biblical themes and stories, painted in rich and elegant detail.

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore also hosts Milan’s Archaeological Museum, with its collections of artifacts from Ancient and Medieval Milan, as well as ancient Etruscan and Greek artifacts.

Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro

Located very close-by Milan’s Piazza Duomo is the Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, with its exceptionally elaborate exterior consisting of many different structures. This stunning 15th century church is also known for its highly ornate and lavish interior.

Ossuary and Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa

Just east of the Milan Cathedral is the city’s Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa, which is known for its amazing ossuary of human bones. Thousands of human skulls and bones are arranged into patterns displayed amongst the highly ornate Rococo-style walls of this church, creating a very stunning and spooky visual effect.

Pinacoteca di Brera

Milan’s most popular museum and one of its top attractions is the Pinacoteca di Brera, located north of the city center. This museum is housed within the grandiose neoclassical Palazzo di Brera palace. The museum’s collection specializes in painting by Italian artists from the medieval period to the Renaissance and beyond, with important works by Titian, Raphael, and many others.

Leonardo da Vinci Science & Technology Museum

Milan’s Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia (or National Museum of Science and Technology) is dedicated to the famous Leonardo da Vinci and is Italy’s largest museum of the type.

Within this museum you can admire stunning scale models of machines and contraptions designed by Leonardo da Vinci, many of which were considered very futuristic and beyond the capabilities of science at the time. The museum also hosts exhibits in areas including communication, transportation, energy, materials, horology, and historic musical instruments.

Poldi Pezzoli Museum

Milan’s Museum Poldi Pezzoli is located a bit north of the Piazza del Duomo and is housed within an elegant neoclassical palace. This museum hosts a wide range of exhibits, including significant fine art from Northern Italian, Dutch, and Flemish artists, as well as historic exhibits in weaponry and armor, furniture, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and glass. Among the museum’s art collection are works by Michelangelo, Bartolomeo, Raphael, and many more.

Bagatti Valsecchi Museum

Within Milan’s main fashion district near Via Montenapoleone is a decadent 16th century townhouse, the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum. This home is extravagantly decorated and highly ornate, hosting an incredible collection of Renaissance-era decorative arts and armors. The house has been very well-preserved as a museum and even contains artworks by Bellini. The manner in which the countless historic items are displayed within the townhouse is very elegant and aesthetic.

MUDEC Museum of Culture

In Southwestern Milan near the Armani Silos is one of Milan’s top museums, the MUDEC Museum of Culture, which is housed within a large old factory building. This museum actually hosts a permanent collection as well as a wide array of temporary exhibitions, often acting as Milan’s host to exhibitions that travel all over the world.

Gallerie d’Italia

Just north of Milan’s Piazza del Duomo on the Piazza Scala is the Galleria d’Italia, a popular modern art museum specializing in 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures. The museum is housed across two connected neoclassical palazzos, with the artworks displayed amongst lavish interiors.

GAM Galleria d’Arte Moderna

Northeast of Central Milan is the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (or GAM), which hosts a significant collection of modern European artworks, mainly from the 18th-20th centuries. The museum is housed within a lavish 18th century mansion and even features a small collection of works by Picasso and Van Gogh.

The Castello Sforzesco or Sforza Castle is one of the largest citadels in Europe and one of the top attractions in Milan. This highly fortified castle was originally built in the 15th century and is surrounded by giant imposing walls and towers. In the past, this former royal castle was surrounded by a moat and accessed by drawbridge.

The Sfroza Castle is a popular spot to walk around and explore, especially amongst its giant courtyard, which is one of the most photographed attractions in Milan.

Sforza Castle Museums

Today the Sforza Castle is home to a large number of Milan’s museums, including the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco hosting important artworks by Bellini, Titian, and Tintoretto, and the Museum of Rondanini Pieta hosting Michelangelo’s last sculpture.

The Sforza Castle also houses the Museum of Ancient Art, which contains frescoes painted by Michelangelo. The Museum of Ancient Art contains an amazing collections of tapestries, armors, weaponry, sculptures, and portals from the medieval and Renaissance era.

Other popular museums of the castle include the Museum of Musical Instruments, Antique Furniture & Wooden Sculpture Museum, Applied Arts Collection, Egyptian Museum, and the Prehistoric collection of the Archaeological Museum of Milan.

Sempione Park

The Sforza Castle is located at the entrance to Sempione Park, a lush urban park full of woodlands, gardens, ponds, and monuments. Within the park is the Branca Tower, a giant steel tower with an elevator that takes visitors up to an observation deck from which they can enjoy amazing panoramic views over Milan.

You might also consider visiting the massive Monumental Cemetery, located to the north of Central Milan. This vast cemetery hosts an abundance of grandiose monuments and tombs, many of which are incredibly elaborate and massive. Even the entrance to the cemetery is a large elegantly designed building.

While it might seem strange to visit a cemetery, the Monument Cemetery is one of Milan’s top tourist attractions, and many of the tombs were designed with the purpose of being flashy and displaying wealth.