HISTORIC LANDMARKS & MONUMENTS
UNIVERSITÀ STATALE AND CA’ GRANDA Via Festa del Perdono, 7 +39 02 503 111 unimi.it @LaStatale The majestic building complex that now hosts the main campus of Milan’s Statale University was formerly known as “Ca’ Granda dei Milanesi” . Begun in 1456, Ca’ Granda was built by Francesco Sforza and his wife Bianca Maria Visconti as a hospital for the poor. One of Milan’s first Renaissance buildings with cloisters and inner courtyards, the building occasionally hosts exhibitions and art installations.
PALAZZO REALE Piazza del Duomo, 12 +39 02 8844 5181 palazzorealemilano.it
@palazzorealemilano
Once Milan’s seat of government and the former residence of the Visconti and Sforza families, the Royal Palace harmoniously blends art and history. The palace is today a lively cultural centre, with groundbreaking art exhibitions hosted in its lavish rooms and halls.
TEATRO ALLA SCALA
CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA PRESSO SAN SATIRO
BASILICA DI SAN BABILA
Via Filodrammatici, 2 +39 02 7200 3744 teatroallascala.org @teatroallascala
Via Speronari, 3 +39 02 8746 83 turismo.milano.it
Corso Monforte, 1 +39 02 7600 2877
Commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Milan’s La Scala Opera House is one of the world’s most famous theatres, hosting concerts, theatre, opera and ballet performances. Many leading Italian operas were staged here, including Verdi’s Nabucco and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The theatre’s opulent U-shaped auditorium is adorned with gilt- edged boxes, velvet fittings and a large glittering crystal chandelier.
Tucked away on a quiet street off bustling Via Torino, the small Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro is an artistic and architectural masterpiece. In order to create the illusion of depth, Italian architect Donato Bramante created an ingenious trompe l’oeil by painting the back wall to give the appearance of a barrel-vaulted choir with a coffered ceiling. PALAZZO DELLA RAGIONE AND PIAZZA DEI MERCANTI
The red-brick façade of the Basilica di San Babila stands out among the buildings of the eponymous square. A Catholic place of worship and the city’s first Christian church, it is considered a Neo-Romanesque landmark thanks to the restoration project that architect Paolo Cesa Bianchi began in 1880. The pipe organ is still used during liturgical ceremonies.
CHURCH OF SAN MAURIZIO AL MONASTERO MAGGIORE
L.O.V.E. - PIAZZA AFFARI
Corso Magenta, 15 chiesadimilano.it
Piazza degli Affari
@chiesadimilano
In 2010, a large sculpture created by controversial artist Maurizio Cattelan was placed in front of Palazzo Mezzanotte , the seat of Milan’s stock exchange. L.O.V.E., which stands for freedom, hate, revenge and eternity in Italian, features a huge hand with a towering middle finger. Given its location, the statue seems to send a clear message to the Milan stock market and the financial world in general, although the artist has denied this. The artwork continues to divide the city.
Hidden away among the elegant buildings of the historic centre, the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore was built in 1503 adjacent to a female Benedictine convent (which today houses Milan’s Archaeological Museum). Nicknamed ‘Milan’s Sistine Chapel’, the church is embellished with magnificent frescoes by Bernardino Luini and painters of the Lombard school of art, featuring elaborate depictions of saints, parables and scenes from the Bible.
Piazza dei Mercanti, 1 +39 02 4335 3535 piazzamercanti.milano.it
A hub of political and commercial activity during the medieval times, Piazza Mercanti is a wonderfully picturesque square that preserves an authentic medieval atmosphere. Among the square’s most striking buildings is the 13th century Palazzo della Ragione, which played an important role in public life until the end of the 18th century.
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