Sights in Milan

This sweeping square, the grandest in the city, is flanked by several famous sights and landmarks. Most notably the Duomo cathedral, but also the 19th-century shopping arcade the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the 18th-century Palazzo Reale.

This basilica, probably dating back to the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century, was largely rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries and again in the 16th century. It also houses a chapel - Capella Sant'Aquilino - which still features mosaics dating back to the 5th century.

Located inside the Palazzo dell’Arengario, in Piazza del Duomo, this museum hosts a collection of over four thousand works that showcase the development of 20th-century Italian art.

La Scala is one of the most important opera theatres in the globe, where many of the most famous operas were premiered. It now stages concerts, recitals and cultural events as well as ballet and opera.

The Giuseppe Meazza stadium or San Siro (as it is better known) was conceived exclusively as a football venue. It was built to host the tempestuous and bi-annual games between the city's rival teams - AC Milano and Inter (F.C. Internazionale Milano).

This gallery is the oldest in Milan, originally founded in 1957, and initially focussed on post-war avant-garde.

Carlo Maciachini built the Monumental Cemetery between 1863 and 1866. The 250,000 m2 cemetery grounds are home to an eclectic assortment of memorial headstones, sculptures and monuments.

The invaluable collection of the Museo delle Culture contains important artefacts belonging to other cultures, exhibited in a way that showcases how the Milanese society has viewed them throughout the centuries.

The Milan Conservatory, named after Verdi though his application to study there was famously rejected, is Milan's most celebrated music college. Since 1808, it has been educating Milan's important, up and coming musicians.

This basilica, the second largest in size after the Duomo in Milan, is an important example of Renaissance architecture. It was part of a large monastery of Lateran Canons, and the adjacent buildings now house Milan's Conservatory.

The Castello Sforzesco incorporates a whole host of museums inside with exhibitions that range from prehistoric and Egyptian archaeological materials to paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, manuscripts, furniture, musical instruments, stamps, coins, medals and much more.

This museum is a fitting tribute to Leonardo da Vinci, founded in 1953, it is the largest science and technology museum in Italy. Originally a 16th-century Olivetan monastery, it is named after Leonardo da Vinci, the renowned Renaissance intellect, painter, inventor and former resident of Milan.​

This Carthusian monastery once stood at the centre of the village of Garegnano, nearly four miles beyond the city walls. It was founded in 1349 by bishop Giovanni Visconti to allow monks to live in silence and solitude.

One of the most important religious buildings, dedicated to Milan's patron saint, Saint Ambrose, who founded this Roman Basilica. It is bright and well rebuilt and has a wonderful golden dome with thousands of mosaics. Saint Ambrose is buried here in the crypt.

The Triennale is a design museum and events venue located in the Palazzo d'Arte, on the grounds of Milan's Parco Sempione. The Palazzo's ground floor open-plan showroom has a surface area of around 2000 m2 and was once home to Milan's huge design cultural event held every 3 years.

This Dominican convent, included in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites List, was built between 1463 and 1481 under the promotion of Duke Francesco Sforza. Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Last Supper fresco is located in its refectory.

The Torre Branca (named after the liquor company that restored it in 2002) offers visitors a panoramic view point in the city. At 108.6 metres, the iron tower is the fourth highest structure in Milan, located in the city's most expansive park, Parco Sempione.

The Royal Palace is a classically beautiful example of 18th-century Milanese architecture. Built in the 1300s, it was initially the residence of the Visconti and Sforza families, then later home to the Spanish and Austrian governors.