Milan is not just the fashion capital; it is a city rich in a variety of art venues and stunning architecture. From Renaissance artworks to contemporary architectural innovations, there is something for every taste! Discover the beauty and diversity of Milan through our guided tours, designed to provide an authentic and unforgettable experience.
Duration: 3 hours
Features: Orientation walking tour around Duomo square
Remarks: Easily accessible to all
Places of interest:
Be inspired by the Duomo the spiked gothic cathedral in pink Candoglia marble (3.600 statues and 135 spires!) that was started in 1386. It boasts an imposing interior with magnificent treasures.
Walking through the elegant passage known as Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II we’ll reach La Scala Museum and Theatre one of the most iconic opera houses in the world. Its museum is a surprising curiosity for opera and music lovers with set designs, musical instruments, libretti, portraits and scores. From one of the boxes you’ll have the chance of admiring the architecture of the theatre hall dating back to the Habsburg domination.
A short walk from Piazza della Scala is the Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro a hidden gem, a real must see for the illusion effect given by its false apse, an early example of trompe l'œil, attributed to Bramante.
Duration: Full day (6 hours )
Features: For those who want to get closer to the Renaissance genius who revolutionized art and science with a strong impact on other artists
Remarks: Walking tour, accessible to all
Places of interest:
The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is located in an elegant 17th century palace. It preserves The Portrait of the Musician, early painting by Leonardo while he was working at the court of the Duke of Milan. Artworks by other Italian masters such as Caravaggio, Titian, Botticelli, Raphael,etc are part of the stunning collection. Its library contains the Codex Atlanticus by Leonardo,one of the most famous “Da Vinci codes”: you’ll have the chance of looking at original drawings and notes by the great genius with his famous “reversed writing”.
Santa Maria delle Grazie Church where Leonardo’s Last Supper, undoubtedly Milan’s best-known attraction, is preserved. By admiring (only 15 minutes time per admitted group!) the peculiarities of the work you’ll feel part of the scene where the iconography reveals the expressions of consternation of the disciples because of Jesus imminent betrayal.
San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore Church, due to its sumptuous interiors rich in frescoes,the majority of them painted by Bernardino Luini (school of Leonardo,) it has been dubbed the ‘Sistine Chapel of Milan’.
Castello Sforzescoserved as the residence of the Visconti and Sforza families that ruled Milan during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It is home to the precious artwork “Pietà Rondanini” by Michelangelo (option) his final and uncompleted masterpiece and to a collection of antique sculptures as well as the Sala della Asse decorated by Leonardo (option).
Duration: 3 hours
Features: For those who love art galleries and the most famous painters’ artworks
Remarks: Walking tour, accessible to all
Places of interest:
The art gallery Pinacoteca di Brera hosts more than 400 works of art with masterpieces such as Lamentation of Christ by Mantegna, Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin, Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio. Within the same walls of the Palazzo di Brera that also houses the art school, we’ll see the Biblioteca Braidense opened to the public in 1786 thanks to the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria governor of Lombardy.
We’ll stroll along Brera’s cobbled streets and stop at Santa Maria del Carmine Church projected in the 13th century as a Carmelites convent but then rebuilt 2 centuries later and enriched with Baroque elements in 1800s.
Duration: 4 hours
Features: For those who want to learn more about Milan’s role as capital fo the Western Roman Empire and its most relevant early Christian churches
Remarks: Walking tour with the possibility of using cabs
Places of interest:
Saint Ambrose Basilica one of the most ancient churches in Milan built by St. Ambrose (the city’s patron saint) in 379–386, in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The current appearance is in Romanesque style with a red brick exterior. Visiting the interior is an illuminating experience: among its jewels there are the Golden Altar, a 9th century masterpiece and a late Roman sarcophagus, traditionally known as Stilicho's Sepulchre, with magnificent friezes.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore: it dates back to 4th/5th century and was erected just outside the Porta Ticinensis near the harbour at the time when Milan was provided with canals and waterways. Its highlight is the chapel of S. Aquilino with an octagonal plan decorated with ancient precious mosaics representing Christ and the Apostles.
The Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio was for many years an important stop for pilgrims on their journey to Rome or to the Holy Land, because it was said to contain the tomb of the Three Magi.Probably founded in the 4th century, the church was later rebuilt in Romanesque style. Behind the apse is the most striking feature of the church, the Portinari Chapel (1462-1468), a stunning example of Renaissance art in Lombardy with frescoes by Vincenzo Foppa and a 14th-century marble sepulchre by Giovanni di Balduccio.
The trendiest neighbourhoods of Milan are close to the city centre. They are a must see if your interest is contemporary and sustainable architecture.
Duration: Full day (6 hours) if you want to visit both districts
Features: For contemporary architecture and art lovers
Remarks: Walking and accessible tour. Subway from historic downtown to reach City Life
Places of interest:
Piazza Gae Aulenti was inaugurated in 2012 as a result of an urban rehabilitation project at the place of former industries. The Argentinian architect César Pelli designed the Unicredit Tower which became the tallest Italian building in the country. Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), is a green residential complex designed by Studio Boeri in which renewable architecture and nature meet one another. Fashion and design enthusiasts will love strolling down Corso Como home to many interesting fashion and design shops.
Places of interest:
Its 3 unusual skyscrapers named the Straight, the Crooked and the Curved designed by Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid. They identify not only City Life, but the whole Milan of the third millennium. They are surrounded by a 170 thousand square meter public green space offering an itinerary of innovative contemporary artworks.