T. van den Brink

How to spend two days in Milan? There is much more to see and do in Milan than fashion shopping. Milan is an ancient city with beautiful churches, squares, museums and private houses. If you’re here for a weekend trip, we’ll have the best itinerary for you, filled with the finest art, ancient culture and impressive history. But you can always pick and choose if you have less time or add some other stuff you would like to visit such as the San Siro football stadium.

Day 1 in Milan

Castello Sforzo

On the northwestern edge of the city center lies the Castello Sforzo from the 15^th century. It was built by the Duke of Milan Fransesco Sforza on the site of the destroyed castle of the city’s previous rulers, the Visconti family. The castle is decorated wih several frescos by Leonardo da Vinci. The castle houses 9 different civic museums ranging from prehistoric archeology to wooden sculptures and from paintings to tapestries.

San Maurizo al Monastero

Walk from the castle into the old part of Milan and after a couple of minute you’ll reach the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore. This beautifully painted church used to be attached to the next door benedict monastery. The church is a 16^th century baroque little gem.

Museo Archeologico

The cities archaeology museum is housed in the former monastery which was built on top of and reused many building materials of the nearby Roman ruins. So it’s an excellent place to explain the different time periods and how they interlink. The main focus is on the Etruscan and Roman period, the museum has some nice finds on display. You can also visit an old polygonal tower which belonged to the Maximian Roman walls.

Leonardo da Vinci

The highlight of many people’s visit to Milan is Leonardo’s huge fresco painting of the Last Supper. If you also want to see it make sure to reserve tickets in advance. Tickets are sold out weeks in advance so plan carefully. If you manage to get tickets, be sure to be on time for your timeslot of 15 minutes and enjoy. It’s a beautiful work of art and you can admire it in relative quietness with just 30 other people at the time.

Santa Maria delle Grazie

The last supper is located in the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie but you’ll need separate tickets for both. The church served as a burial site for the Sforza family. The church was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II, but the wall with Da Vinci’s fresco was protected by sandbags and survived without any major damage.

Basilica Sant Ambrosio

To the southeast lies the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, one of the oldest churches in Milan. Built by St. Ambrose in 379, although almost everything you see today dates from the 12^th century. The basilica is surrounded by a monastery which dates from the 8^th century. The monastery housed two different orders, that division is still visible today by the two different towers, one from the 9^th century and the other from the 12^th century. This church was another victim of the allied bombing raid of 1943 and has been heavily restored. The crypt houses the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Louis II.

Duomo di Milano

The most famous church of Milan is its duomo or cathedral. It is the largest church in Italy and took six centuries to complete. Work started in 1386 and was not completed until 1965. This results in a very eclectic style of the building, originally a French-style gothic building, but now a mix of that with all the later styles and whims of the rulers and builders during the ages. The roof of the cathedral provides marvelous views over the city but it can be busy, so it’s not ideal for those with fear of heights.

Pinacotea Ambrosiana

Housed in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the pinacotea has a good collection of renaissance art with some masterpieces by Da Vinci, Caravaggio and Rafael. The library houses several manuscripts by Da Vinci.

Santa Maria presso San Satiro

Santa Maria presso San Satiro is a nice little church built at the end of the 15^th century. The main draw is the false apse at the backend of the church. Due to a limited amount of space, the apse is painted by Bramante with a perspective illusion choir. One of the first examples of trompe l’oeil in the history of art.

Basillica di Lorenzo Maggio

The Basillica di Lorenzo Maggio is one of the oldest churches in Milan and its origin dates back to Roman times. The building of the basilica started somewhere at the end of the 4^th century. In 1071 the basilica was ravaged by fire which destroyed most of the original interior decorations and made new restorations necessary. In 1573 the dome of the basilica collapsed, which was subsequentially rebuild. It’s a great example of a Roman basilica church although heavily reconstructed throughout the ages. It still houses an original 4^th century mosaic of Christ the Lawgiver.

Day 2 in Milan

Pinacoteca di Brera

Start your day early with a visit to the Pinacoteca di Brera which is housed in the Palazzo Brera. The pinacoteca is the best gallery to view Italian paintings in Milan. In its collection are works by the likes of Raphael, Belinni, Tintoretto, Caravagio and Titian.

Villa Reale / Galleria d’Arte Moderna

The Villa Reale houses the Galleria d’Arte Moderna. This relatively small museum has a collection of 18^th until 20^th century works. Principal works in the collection include works by artists like Van Gogh, Picasso and Gauguin.

Also visit the opposite Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea if you like contemporary art.

Villa Necchi

Villa Necchi is a beautiful villa from the 1930’s. Some of the rooms are still decorated with furniture from this era. The villa and its surrounding garden form a quiet repose from the busy city. The villa is part of the 4 Case Museo di Milano network and you can buy one entrance ticket for all four houses. Depending on the amount you want to visit this can be a good deal, but beware that Case Boschi de Stefano is free to enter anyway.

Case Boschi de Stefano

Case Boschi de Stefano is a historical residence once inhabited by the couple Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano. They were huge art collectors and their collection includes more than 2,000 works of art. Over 300 of those works are on display in this house that is packed with paintings. No wall is free of art, maybe not the best way to display this many works of art but it’s a great collection of mainly 20^th century Italian art which you wouldn’t see elsewhere. And since the museum is free, there is no reason to skip this gem.

Basilica San Nazaro in Brolo

Basilica San Nazaro in Brolo is another church founded by St. Ambrose. This church was built at the end of the 4^th century but not much remains of the original building. The old façade is obstructed by the Trivulzio Mausoleum from 1512.

Navigile Grande

The Navigile Grande is the biggest of the canals dug in Milan. Its origin dates back to the time of Frederick Barbarossa and was one of the biggest engineering projects during the Middle Ages in Italy. Nowadays it’s a good place to go for a walk, have a drink and have dinner.

Day trips from Milan

There are a lot of beautiful places around Milan. We can recommend going to Turin to be closer to the mountains, get some royal history, a superb Egyptian museum and several other great museums.

Another good day trip is to Pavia, this city lies just a half hour south of Milan and is very compact and has kept much of its medieval atmosphere. Don’t forget to stop at Certosa de Pavia, this monastery is beautiful..

The northern Italian city of Turin is beautifully located on the flanks of the Italian Alps. It’s just a short train ride away from Milan so it’s ideal for a day trip from that city. But there is plenty to do and Turin can also serve as a base to explore this region of Italy.

History of Turin

The history of Turin begins in Roman times, when the Romans founded the colony Augusta Taurinorum. Turin bears the name of the people who are said to have lived in the area. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Turin changed hands several times until it came into the hands of the counts of Savoy in the 11^th Century. It became the capital of the duchy of Savoy in the 16^th century and the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia in the early 19^th century. After the unification of Italy in 1861, it became the first capital of Italy. During this time the area was also heavily industrialised. This made Turin a target of heavy Allied bombing during the Second World War.

Top sights in Turin

Egyptian Museum

Besides the character and all the beautiful buildings in this city, the biggest draw is the Egyptian Museum. It’s the second biggest Egyptian museum in the world, only beaten by the one in Cairo. So, if you have the slightest interest in ancient Egypt, history or art, go visit this museum. The collection is outstanding and covers all aspects of life and culture in Ancient Egypt.

Piazza Castello

Nearby is the Piazza Castello, the cultural heart of the city. Here you’ll find to palaces which now mainly serve as museums. The Palazzo Madama built on the site of the ancient Roman city gates. Two of the Roman towers still form part of the back of this palace. It houses the Museum of Ancient Art, which is a confusing name since the collection dates from the 15^th-18^th century.

Palazzo Reale

The main sight of the square is the Palazzo Reale. This former Royal Palace of the house of Savoy now houses a multitude of different museums. There is the main building of the Palazzo Reale itself, where you can marvel at the beautiful rooms and furniture of the palace. Then you have the southern wing with the Armoury which houses a large collection of medieval weapons. The northern wing houses the Galleria Sabauda with beautiful paintings and sculptures and the Museo di antichità with its collection of local Roman finds including a spectacular bronze mask. Attached to the palace is the chapel of the holy shroud, which houses the famous Shroud of Turin. The chapel has recently reopened after a 21-year restoration after a fire. But don’t expect to see the real shroud, it’s only on display once every few decades. But if you want to know more, you can visit the Museum of the shroud where you can also see a replica.

Teatro Romano

Behind the Palazzo, you can also visit some of the Roman remains in the city. Another piece of the city wall and the gate Porte Palatini and the Roman theatre are the most visible things.

Catadrale di San Giovani Battista

Attached to the chapel for the shroud is the Turin cathedral Catadrale di San Giovani Battista. On the site had stood 3 Lombard churches next to each other, all of them were destroyed to make a place for this cathedral at the end of the 15^th century.

Castello di Rivoli

A bit outside of the town lies the Castello di Rivoli. Another former residence of the royal family of Savoy. Nowadays it’s the oldest contemporary art museum in Italy. From the castle grounds, you’ll have some great views of the surrounding village and Turin in the background.

Museo d’arte Orientale (MAO)

Another great museum with art from another part of the world is the Museo d’arte Orientale. This Asian art museum has a diverse collection of art from the whole continent, spanning several millennia.