the popular city in europe,milan

Milan Travel Guide
Sophistication reaches new levels in Milan. The financial and commercial centre of Italy attracts fashion fundis, opera lovers, the young, the beautiful and the bold. Shopping, eating and clubbing is serious business here and it is no surprise that the city boasts the world's most beautiful shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Equally vying for admiration are the Milanese icons of La Scala Theatre (Teatro della Scala) and the Gothic Duomo, one of the world's largest churches. Milan's frenetic pace surges ahead in its drive towards progress, forsaking the lengthy siestas enjoyed in other parts of the country. The city's urban tentacles stretch for miles, although the significant historical attractions are contained between the two landmark sites - the Duomo and the Sforzesco Castle. These reside within the inner loop of the city's concentric design, which is split into four squares: Piazza Duomo, Piazza Cairoli, Piazza Cordusio and Piazza san Babila. The modern civic centre lies to the northwest, around Mussolini's colossal train station built in 1931. The area around here is dominated by a skyline of skyscrapers from which the sleek Pirelli Tower emerges. The Fiera district that stretches around Porta Genova station is the nub for trade and fashion fairs.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
This four-storey, glass-domed arcade is entered from the Piazza in front of the Cathedral and extends to the Piazza della Scala. It was originally built as a link to the opera house but has become a fashionable place to hang out, sip coffee or camparis, or take a stroll through its many exclusive shops. Milanese gather in this conservatory to escape the winter rains or to socialise after a busy working day.

Theatre Museum at La Scala (Museo Teatrale alla Scala)
This world famous opera house rests on the site of the Church of Santa Maria alla Scala, its namesake. The Museum provides a wealth of mementos from the opera house dedicated to the nation’s beloved composers and performers. These include Rossini, Puccini and Toscanini. Two halls are devoted to Verdi alone and contain memorabilia such as the spinet on which he learnt to play, hand-written scores and the baton given to him after the momentous reception of Aida.

Santa Maria delle Grazie
Located next to the church in the former monastery's refectory is Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano). The fresco depicts the moment of Christ's revelation of the betrayal. Judas hovers to the right of the painting with his hand placed protectively on the bag of silver. Scaffolding covers the bottom of the painting (an ongoing restoration project), leaving the rest in full view. Controversy has erupted over the removal of layers of corrective over-painting completed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The painting has endured more than hot debate however as it escaped the bombing during WWII that destroyed the roof of the refectory.

Museo Poldi-Pezzoli
The Museo Poldi-Pezzoli contains a spectacular private collection that was bequeathed by its namesake Poldi Pezzoli to the city in 1879. Numerous masterpieces hang from the walls of the Golden Room with its vista onto a picturesque garden. Antonio Pollaiolo's Portrait of a Lady has become the symbol for Milan's own style and elegance and depicts the profile of an elegant woman. Other famous paintings include a Virgin and Child by Andrea Mantegna, Bellini's Ecco Homo, Piero della Francesca's St Nicholas and Guardi's Gray Lagoon.

Milan Attractions
Duomo (Cathedral)
The looming Duomo, the world's largest Gothic cathedral, presides over the Piazza that bears its name. Its construction began in 1386 and continued sporadically until Napoleon ordered its completion in 1809. Its lengthy creation bestowed on it 3,400 statues, 135 spires and 96 gargoyles. It is best visited in full sunshine when the interior is illuminated by the colourful mosaic of its stained glass windows. The church is a five-aisled cruciform seating 40,000 worshippers. The 16th-century marble tomb of Giacomo de Medici lies in the south transept and lying buried at its heart is St Charles Borromeo, the cathedral's most important benefactor. Every year in May and September a nail from the cross of Christ is displayed to worshippers and is retrieved from its resting place by the bishop who is hoisted to the nivola to reach it. Across the piazza in the Palazzo Reale is the Museo del Duomo that displays the treasures from the cathedral. It also houses the Museo d'Arte Contomporanea, showcasing a collection of Italian Futurist art.republic.

Museum of Historic Art of the Sforzesco Castle
The gargantuan Sforzesco Castle built in the 15th century is one of Milan's foremost monuments. It was restored after being bombed in 1943. The vast interior, which is broken here and there by smaller courtyards, contains three museums, the most notable of which is Museum of Historic Art (Museo d'Arte Antica del Castello Sforzesco). Within its collection of sculptures is the famous Pieta Rondanini, Michelangelo's final work. The picture gallery features paintings by Mantegna, Bellini, da Vinci and Fra Filippo Lippi. The two other museums within the Castle's ramparts are the Museum of Applied Arts and the Archaeological Museum.

Leonardo da Vinci National Science & Technology Museum
Within the Leonardo Gallery of the museum is a collection of Leonardo’s ingenious designs from war machines to architectural visions. Applied physics is the focus of another room in keeping with the museum’s tribute to the history of science.

The Gallery of Modern Art
The Gallery of Modern Art (Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna) is housed in the building, which once served at Napoleon's summer palace and was occupied by the famous statesman and Josephine between 1805 and 1814. It is now recognised for its collection of modern art with works by Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Gaugin and C?zanne.