An Afternoon in Milan

With the Freccia Rossa high-speed train, Milan is no more than an hour and a half from Florence, so, having never visited its historic centre, I decided to go and see it with my own eyes, taking advantage of the anniversary of the Liberation. So here are a few tips for getting a walkable feel for Milan's historic centre on a visit of around 6 hours, including a bit of shopping, with no museums, for an adult accompanied by a couple of teenage children. From Milano Centrale station, to get to the centre you head in the direction of the "M" (Metro) and take the M3 line towards San Donato as far as the Duomo stop. The moment you emerge from the metro tunnel, you're enveloped by the magical, almost unsettling presence of the Duomo. Shame there were barriers in front of it, but the effect was still there.

This is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in Italy, begun in the late 14th century. The façade, however, is of mixed style (Baroque, Neoclassical and Napoleonic) and the interior is 16th and 17th century. The sheer size of the Duomo strikes the visitor: 158 metres tall... Yes indeed! It's the third church of Catholicism. At the top, you can see a little Madonna watching over the people of Milan from above. The bronze portals mark the entrance to a whole of 52 pillars alternating with tall windows whose stained glass creates kaleidoscope-like plays of light. Leaving the Duomo and looking at it from the square, you take the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, by the architect Mengoni (1867), on the left, which brings you out into Piazza della Scala, where the theatre of the same name stands.

At the theatre there's a museum we couldn't visit for lack of time, but it's certainly something to do. The theatre dates back to 1778 and was half-destroyed during World War II. Opposite, you see Palazzo Marino, from the 16th century, and in between the statue of Leonardo da Vinci (1872), who lived in Milan for a good 20 years and created the famous Last Supper (not seen on this occasion). The avenue on the right is Via Manzoni, which leads straight to the Fashion Quadrilateral formed by via Montenapoleone, via Borgospesso, via della Spiga and via Sant'Andrea. On Via Manzoni is the Poldi Pezzoli museum, housed in a magnificent 19th-century palazzo. Inside, collections of weapons, furniture, fabrics... another one to note down for another day in Milan.

Going into the entrance courtyard is worth the stop anyway: it's stunning! We chose to enter the Fashion Quadrilateral from via Montenapoleone, which we followed as far as Piazza S. Babila; from there, you do a stretch of Via Venezia and come back into Via della Spiga. It's interesting to notice how the strollers in this district are dressed: I wondered whether they'd dolled themselves up just for the occasion and whether only certain people go for a stroll here. Since the second option isn't plausible given that the Quadrilateral is now a tourist destination, I'll go with the first: even just to walk past the boutiques of the great Italian designers and tailors, you have to play along and dress up as an unrepentant fashionista. The shop windows are astonishing, the area an open-air museum of fashion.

At San Babila, a 6th-century church, we came across the demonstration for the Liberation anniversary, so it wasn't possible to go inside the building. Instead, I took a few photos of the event, which paralysed Piazza del Duomo for the rest of the afternoon. From the Quadrilateral, you return to the Duomo, in front of which stands Palazzo della Ragione, where you can rest sitting on a bench or on the steps. The contrast between the Romanesque pillars of the Palazzo and the Gothic look of the Duomo is unexpected. Behind us, a few steps away, you can visit Santa Maria presso San Satiro, on Via Torino, an unmissable masterpiece by Bramante (15th century). Inside, the frescoes by Bergognone have been moved to the Pinacoteca di Brera. The Sacellum can only be visited by reservation because it has suffered acts of vandalism. The whole thing is worth a visit anyway.

We finished our afternoon in Milan with a bit of shopping on Via Torino, decidedly more within our means. The street is one of the oldest in Milan; it's lined with majestic buildings and crossed by the tram. Taking the metro again around the Duomo was impossible because the entrances were closed due to the demonstration. Risking missing our return train to Florence, we therefore took a taxi, whose driver complained about how unlivable his city has become. For one afternoon, we liked it, and we'll be back to explore what we missed! photo being uploaded...