Two-Day Trek: Milan, Italy
A city of history that struts its stuff with style and passion.
With stylish shops and galleries interspersed between historic sites, Milan fuses classic charm with cosmopolitan energy.
FRIDAY
We touched down at Milan Malpensa in the early afternoon and made our way via the Malpensa Express train to Milano Centrale. The ride took about an hour, after which it was a quick five-minute walk to Unahotels Century Milano [Via Fabio Filzi, 25], a business hotel that empties out on the weekend.
To reach central Milan, we took the Metro’s M1/red line from Milano Centrale to the Duomo stop. We then walked about 10 minutes to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Grazie to see Leonardo da Vinci’s renowned mural, “The Last Supper.” Painted between 1495 and 1498, it has survived several botched restoration attempts over the centuries, though not unscathed. It’s in the refectory adjoining the church, whose construction began in 1463 after being commissioned by Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife. Beatrice d’Este.
Due to the painting’s fame and fragility, tickets are extremely limited. We arranged ours through a tour broker, which allowed us access (although it came with a markup) and supplied an excellent guide who provided considerable context on the biblical scene and Da Vinci’s meticulous work.
What To Know
Date of visit: May 27 to May 29, 2022.
Airport location: Malpensa, Italy’s second-busiest airport, is 28 miles from the city center while Linate is 5 miles away and connected by the Metro’s M4/blue line.
Walkability: 8/10. Getting around is easy and effortless thanks to a city center that’s both very compact and flat.
English: It’s a cosmopolitan city, so there’s plenty enough to get by.
Must-See Attraction: The Duomo is the heart of Milan, just like in many Italian cities. But “The Last Supper” can’t be missed.
Traveler’s tip: If you’re going to make “The Last Supper” part of your plans, watch the calendars and book as soon as possible.
Just to the right of the basilica’s entrance is the tiny San Bernardino alle Ossa chapel. Its vaulted walls and pillars are completely covered in bones and skulls from an old ossuary and other local graveyards. Frescoes by Sebastiano Ricci date to 1695. It’s a macabre but mesmerizing sight.
For dinner, we headed to Il Tavolino [Via Gustavo Fara, 23], right near the hotel. Then, on a whim, we walked 20 minutes to Piazzale Loreto, where the bodies of dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were hung upside down from the gantry of a gas station and beaten by locals in April 1945.
It was symbolic, given that eight months earlier, 15 civilians were publicly executed in the square by the German occupying forces. The imagery became a powerful symbol of the dictator’s downfall. Today, a McDonald’s sits on the site of the gas station — a tale well told on True Adventure Stories.
SATURDAY
After breakfast at our hotel, we took the Metro back to the Duomo to visit Milan’s most iconic sight. The massive cathedral, made of pink Candoglia marble, was deemed impossible when first designed. Construction began in 1387 after canals were dug to transport the marble slabs to the city center, and it dragged on for so long that in 1805, Napoleon offered to fund its completion. The cavernous interior was designed to hold Milan’s entire population at the time — 40,000 people.
The cathedral contains more than 3,400 statues and has 144 stained-glass windows depicting biblical stories. The intricate marble floor covers 12,000 square meters and took 400 years to finish. One of two baptistries below the Duomo is where St. Ambrose baptized St. Augustine in 387. The cathedral’s most famous sculpture is one of St. Bartholomew, who was flayed alive.
Even though we were at the Duomo when it opened, we still purchased a “fast track” ticket that provided priority access inside the cathedral and up to the roof. The views over the city were spectacular, as was the ability to see some of the stonework and gargoyles up close.
Then, a quick Metro ride and 15-minute walk took us to Castello Sforzesco, an iconic red-brick fortress that was built by the Visconti family and later became the home of Renaissance Milan’s ruling Sforza dynasty. Francesco Sforza, in particular, was highly regarded at the time as a great soldier. Today, the sprawling castle houses specialized museums and galleries.
After a mediocre lunch break in the castle vicinity, we spent the afternoon at the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery, with its remarkable collection of Italian Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Highlights included works by Raphael, Caravaggio and Titian.
We returned to the Duomo stop and took a glitzy stroll through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, known for its high-end boutiques and the iconic domed glass ceiling over the octagonal center, and across to the Quadrilatero d’Oro, a similarly ornate shopping district. The people watching, it goes without saying, was just as exquisite.
Our evening concluded with a walk past Milan’s famed Teatro Alla Scala opera house, which opened in 1778, and the adjacent Piazza della Scala, with its statue of Da Vinci, before a final dinner again near the hotel at Barzac [Via Gustavo Fara, 29].
SUNDAY
We began our last day back in the shadow of the Duomo at the tiny, hard-to-find Santuario Arcivescovile di San Bernardino Alle Ossa. A church has stood here since the 13th century, and an altar is decorated with skulls and bones of people who died at a nearby hospital centuries ago.
To see a different side of Milan, we took the streetcar down to Naviglio Grande and strolled along the picturesque canal, which was lined with cafes, boutiques and restaurants. It offered a lively local vibe compared to the touristy center.
Another ride on the streetcar took us to Parco Sempione, a beloved public park behind Castello Sforzesco that was the hunting grounds of the Sforza dukes until Napoleon’s arrival. He transformed it into the open space that remains today, and the spacious grounds provide a nice contrast to the bustling city.
We then walked back to the hotel to gather our belongings from the hotel and headed back to Milan Malpensa for our 2:30 p.m. flight.
Verdict: In Milan, beauty is everywhere — in stone, paint, sound, and fabric. This is a classy city that elevates artistry to the highest level.
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Disclaimers: All products, services and experiences were paid for and arranged by the author and the vendors named herein had no editorial oversight of this piece. All photographs were taken by and remain the property of the author; contact for republication rights.
