Milan is the capital of Lombardy in northern Italy. With a population of approximately 1.5m (3.3m in the suburbs) Milan is the second most populated city in Italy, after Rome.
There are three airports in Milan. Malpensa is the largest and lots of transatlantic flights land here. There is a direct train service from Malpensa to the center of the city. Linate is also close to the city and mainly has flights from European and other Italian cities. A very efficient bus service operates from Linate taking you straight into the main train station (Milan Centrale). Bergamo is the furthest of the three airports, from the city center. It is more widely used by low cost airlines.
I live about an hour away from Milan. I spend lots of time in the majestic Milan Centrale train station either on my way to somewhere else in Italy or when travelling to the airport. While I have been to Milan on numerous occasions, I haven’t visited the tourist sites for five years. So I decided to spend a day in Milan recently.
The purpose of this blog is to share with you what I would do if I only had a day to spend in Milan. I must warn you that I walked everywhere. My fitbit showed just under 30,000 steps when I returned home. I also pre-booked two activities to ensure I could visit them in my allotted time. I think my tour is the perfect mixture of the old and the new. I hope it will give you ideas of what to do when you visit this beautiful city.
Milan Cadorna Train Station
I left home early and arrived at Milan Cadorna train station at 8.15am. It is close to the center of Milan (Milano Centrale is at the north east of the city). Cadorna has a much more modern exterior to Centrale. It’s red and green with some interesting coloured sculptures outside – the needle, thread and knot. They celebrate this city’s place in the World of fashion.
I had forty five minutes to spare before the start of my first tour so did what all respectable visitors and locals do. I went to a local cafe and ordered a coffee and a brioche. I sat outside and watched the locals go about their day.
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Last Supper” is in the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie. This is a short six minute walk from Cadorna through leafy commercial streets. You will see lots of coffee shops along the way. I had pre-booked a tour which started at 9.15am and you were instructed to arrive 10 minutes before the start.
I have tried to see The Last Supper on numerous occasions and this is the first time I was able to get a booking. The numbers visiting are restricted (more information on that later) and it books up very quickly. There are lots of different tour options available. I recommend you do some research and select what suits your personal preferences and budget. You can also combine a tour here with other sites including the Duomo or walking tours of Main. I went on a guided English speaking tour which was scheduled to last an hour and cost €69. I booked it through “Get your Guide”. I like the app and you can cancel 24 hours before if required.
You have to purchase tickets in advance to see The Last Supper and join a tour. May I also suggest you read all the instructions before completing your booking. I was amazed at how many people didn’t appear to do this, when my tour started.
I arrived about 20 minutes before my tour started and I could see another small group getting ready to enter the building. There were several guides holding signs. Close to 10 minutes before the start, I figured out which guide was for my group and I showed her my ticket. We were very quickly organised into a group and each given audio devices and headphones. The guide then went through the basics (all of which had been documented in the booking).
- The audio devices were only available in English, they were for us to hear the guide (lots of people kept asking the guide if they could have ones in other languages)
- You were requested not to bring backpacks or large bags (people had some and had to leave them in lockers)
- We needed to show an official ID at the ticket office to get the ticket (four people hadn’t brought their ID’s). The guide had to recheck their tickets to confirm their names and they showed her a bank card. She then arranged with the ticket office to give them their tickets after everyone else had received theirs.
These small things may seem minor but when a tour group is on a strict schedule, they all cause unnecessary delays.
The guide then gave us a very quick introduction to da Vinci and the history of how The Last Supper ended up in this church in Milan. It took three years to complete and was completed in 1494. It really wasn’t recognised as a masterpiece for many years and a section of the wall was opened up to create a door at one stage. This was done over Jesus Christ’s feet so they are no longer visible, though the door has been covered in. Various restoration projects have been completed over the years with an extremely important one finished in 1999.
The temperature in the room where The Last Supper is, is controlled. The numbers in the room at one time are limited. Due to this, all groups have fifteen minutes to view the painting. This has been the secret to preserving the painting while allowing the large number of people who want to see it, view it.
Once we were finally all organised, we were brought into a small room with glass windows around it. Our group of twenty was there with another group of six. I now knew why we needed the audio device as you wouldn’t have been able to hear the guide clearly when in this small space with another group. Our guide continued to give us some great information regarding the history of the painting. She also told us about the painting of the Crucification, which is on the opposite wall.
At our allotted time slot, the doors were opened and we, along with the other small group, were able to enter the church. The Last Supper is on the wall to the right. I have seen lots of masterpieces over the years and I have to say, this is pretty special. The people are really lifelike and the twelve disciples are in groups of three. The “da Vinci code” enthusiasts will enjoy looking at John and deciding if it’s really him. Jesus is saying that he will be betrayed soon and the expression on each of the disciples face reflects what history has told us, was their role in what happened next. It’s easy to pick out Judas Iscariot.
I was delighted at how close we got to the painting and due to the restricted numbers, I got a great view (this isn’t always the case with well known masterpieces on show). I was extremely amused as to how many people were taking selfies with the artwork and several had removed their ear pieces and were not listing to the great information the guide was giving us. When the fifteen minutes was up, a security man instructed us to leave via the side door by the Crucification. In my opinion fifteen minutes was adequate time, as we got an unobstructed view of the painting as soon as we walked in.
We then moved into another small room and the guide talked about the fact The Last Supper was almost moved to France at one stage due to da Vinci’s popularity there. Our guide, a proud Italian, was insistent this would have been a travesty !
We were then brought out to the garden and the guide had some last observations. There were several signs here explaining the restoration projects, in Italian and English, and we had time to read them at our leisure.
You can enter the Basilica free of charge and without seeing the Last Supper (apart from when services are on) so I then spent some time wandering around it.
I really enjoyed seeing The Last Supper. While €69 may seem like a lot of money to see one painting, this is so unique I didn’t mind the cost. While I have returned to other museums several times and seen masterpieces multiple times – I may only see this once. Therefore if you want to see if, I highly recommend you book a tour asap. If you shop around you may find a tour for a cheaper price also.
The Duomo
I then walked to the Duomo, which took about 20 minutes. I have walked this route several times and it’s through some very busy commercial streets. You have lots of options to get a coffee or a gelato along the way.
I have been to the interior of the Duomo several times but I had never been up to the rooftop.
Again, in the interest of time I had booked a tour. My tour was “Duomo and Rooftop, small group and skip the line” and expected to last 90 minutes. You don’t have to book a tour to enter the Duomo. However, please be mindful of the time of the year when you visit. I was there on a Wednesday in April and there was a long queue to purchase tickets and then to enter the Duomo. You will have lots of options to find a tour that suits your requirements and budget. My tour cost €59 and we met just across from the back of the Duomo, 15 minutes before our allotted time. The guide was there holding a sign and it was easy to find him. After he reviewed my ticket he told me our group was only four people. A couple were there on time also and while we waited until the start time the other person didn’t arrive and they didn’t contact the guide.
The guide was a very proud Milan native and made that clear straight away. He was surprised when I explained I lived on Lake Como and he wanted to know how many times I had been to the Duomo before. He was delighted when I said I had never done a tour before or had been to the rooftop.
Our guide explained how the tour would work and then brought us straight to the back entrance. This is where the beauty of skipping the queue was evident, as we walked straight in and got into a lift up to the first level of the rooftops. The guide then brought us to a quiet area and told us all about the architecture of the Duomo and the various restoration projects. It’s continuously being renovated so you are almost guaranteed to see scaffolding somewhere at all times. You will also see where the marble has been cleaned as it’s extremely white. Milan is quite a polluted city so lots of the marble is quite dark and often black. It was really amazing to see it all up close. I kept asking myself why I haven’t done this before. We had lots of time to walk around the whole area as the guide kept us regaled with facts and pointed out the gargoyles, the statues etc. He also explained the controversial sponsorship project and showed us some of the signs.
We then walked up some steps to the top level. You could get a great view now of the Golden Madonna, which is the top point of the Duomo. Our guide explained that the goal originally was that the Madonna was always meant to be the highest point in Milan. However, lots of buildings now are higher but they all have a Madonna on the top floor. I thought this was a great fact to learn. We had lots of time to walk around and see the Milan panoramic skyline. Our helpful guide was able to tell us what lots of buildings were and he often had some very amusing opinions on them. The skyline is interesting with some very distinctive old and new buildings.
We were then brought down into the interior via a narrow stone staircase. It had been explained in the instructions that you would be descending via a stairs so you needed to be mobile and relatively fit to do so. However, I heard several people complaining to guides about this.
We arrived into the Duomo, via the back of the cathedral. Our guide brought us up towards the front and spent about 30 minutes bringing us around. He explained the history behind several statues, the stained glass windows and all about the various cardinals based in Milan over the years. There is a very beautiful statue of Ambrose, who is the Patron Saint of Milan, so has pride of place in the Duomo. While I had been inside several times before, I learnt a lot on this tour. When the tour ended, the guide explained we could stay as long as we wanted to wander around at our own pace.
I know €59 is quite a lot for a tour but given what I wanted to accomplish on this day, I thought it was worth it. I will visit the Duomo inside and out again but I am delighted I finally went on a tour as I learnt a lot of new information. The tour guide was also extremely engaging which made it really interesting. Please also note that guides in Italy do not expect tips on tours like this.
Even though I have walked around the piazza several times, I did it all again to take some photographs from various angles.
Lunch at Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel
The Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel is to the left of the Duomo and the entrance has an ornate archway. I have been inside several times but always enjoy a visit due to its amazing opulence. Every Italian luxury brand has a shop here and the frescos and artwork is just beautiful.
There are several restaurants inside. They all have outdoor and indoor dining areas. I have eaten at a few before but it’s often hard to get a table outside. I managed to get one on this day at “Biffi”. Any of the outside tables are great places to enjoy the splendour of this place and people watch. I had lunch (pasta, salad, wine, water and coffee). It cost €44, which while expensive for Italy, is probably normal for an exclusive place in a larger city. I really enjoyed my lunch and the service was excellent – a real relaxing and enjoyable lunch. Sometimes a girl just needs some good food, wine and attention !
Chiostri Di Sant Eustorigio
While there are lots of churches to see in Milan and I have been to several, I decided to walk to the Church of Saint Eustorgio next. It took me about 35 minutes to walk to this. The route takes you along the river and through some really interesting areas. You really get a great feel for the city as while there are lots of shops, they are not the high end brands. There are also a few ethnic restaurants and lots of neighbourhood cafes.
The entrance fee is €6.00 as it includes access to the museum. This church was built in 1462 after being commissioned by a wealthy banker from Florence, who was a patron of the Medici family, who wanted a tomb for St. Peter of Verona.
This is a gem of a catholic museum and great to visit after the slender of the Duomo. There are lots of religious relics and sculptures. Several of the sculptures have very lifelike eyes which appear to follow you around. One of the reasons I wanted to visit this church was to see the Crypt which is credited with containing the Magi (The Three Wise Men). I felt very privileged to be seeing yet another great amazing piece of history.
In the center of another room is the sarcophagus of St Peter, Martyr of Verona. It’s an amazing marble ark with eight columns in red Verona marble and eight statutes. Each statue has a meaning – Justice, Temperance, Prudence, Faith, Hope and Charity.
I then went downstairs to the underground chapel and to the main chapel. I really enjoyed my visit and think this is great value. You are given a leaflet, in your preferred language, which along with the signs will explain everything you need to know.
Armani Solis
I wanted to do something a little different now after seeing so many important religious buildings and artwork. So in Milan, the obvious choice is to see something associated with fashion. The lovely shops in the Galleria had certainly whetted my appetite for more luxury.
While the fashion museum is one of the most visited places in Milan, I decided to go to The Armani Solis. I had purchased my ticket on-line when having lunch. It costs €12.00 and you have to select a time slot. Again, if this is somewhere that interests you, I suggest you book on-line at the Armani Solis website.
It took me 23 minutes to walk here from the church and again I came through some very unusual areas including quite a bohemian area.
The outside of the museum is extremely austere and it’s across the road from the Armani offices. The entrance is large and there are locker rooms and toilets on the ground floor. The exhibits are located on four floors which can be accessed via a staircase or a lift. If you do take the lift, do ensure you wander around the stairway area also to see the exhibits displayed near it.
The first two floors showcase lots of photographs of the various Armani campaigns. While they are all eye-catching I did think some signs were needed. I don’t know much about fashion and after walking through lots, I was starting to lose interest.
I had seen a sign for a cafe on the first floor so decided to get a caffeine fix. The cafe is great and a little bit of luxury also. You are served at the table. Once I saw the pastries I decided I needed sugar so had a slice of pistachio sponge cake and a macchiato. It cost €5.50 which is expensive for Italy but is due to its location.
I decided to try again to get interested in the photographs and the sugar and caffeine did help. I do think signs are needed though or you should be given some literature. Now the “piece de resistance” of this museum is on the top floors as there are lots of amazing clothing displayed on mannequins. They are displayed in coloured groups, including black, green, silver and grey areas. However, the red clothing is the area which jumps out the most. While I recognised a few pieces from red carpets and magazines, again I think some signs or additional information is required to really appreciate the history behind these famous pieces.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed my day in Milan. I think it was a great mixture of what this city has to offer both historically and modern. On a previous visit, I went on one of the open top bus sightseeing tours. It also is an excellent way to see Milan. The audio guide was informative with lots of great nuggets of information.
This was a long day but I walked through some interesting neighbourhoods and got a great feel for the city. I am lucky that I live near Milan so I will certainly be back again and again to see more. Watch this space for more wonderful things to see in this beautiful city !
