Milano - Milano visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Milano' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Lombardia.

Milan (Milano) is the capital of Lombardy and of the province of Milan in Italy. The city was founded by the Insubres Celts around 400BC, who called it 'Medhlan'. It was captured by the Romans in 222BC, who called it 'Mediolanum'. Emperor Diocletian declared Milan the capital of the Western Roman Empire in 293 AD. Milan became very prosperous, becoming one of the most important Italian cities during the High Middle Ages and a major cultural centre in Europe during the Romantic period.

Milan suffered from intensive Allied bombing during WWII and the Italian resistance to German rule and Mussolini in the city was very strong. In fact, towards the end of the war, Milan was liberated by the resistance movement before the Americans arrived. Today, Milan is a vibrant city, full of hope and promise. It has been chosen to host the Expo 2015 and is a popular tourist destination, as well as a gateway to northern Italy.

Milan - Tourist Attractions

Milan has many fine and notable buildings, sights and attractions. It is considered one of the top European tourist destinations with nearly 2 million visitors annually. Among the top tourist attractions in Milan are:

• Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) - dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent) this Gothic cathedral took 500 years to build and is the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.
• Piazza del Duomo - one of the most magnificent squares in Milan, surrounded by many important buildings and full of tourists.
• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - glass covered double arcade linking Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala through a central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome.
• Palazzo Reale di Milano (Royal Palace of Milan) - with roots in the 16th century, formerly the seat of government and now an important cultural center, home to expositions and exhibition.
• Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie - a UNESCO World Heritage site, this 15th century convent church contains the mural of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
• Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) - first built in 1925, this football stadium is now home to both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano.
• Via Monte Napoleone - famous street tracing the Roman city walls and now lined by very up-market, luxury shops and boutiques.
• Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) - housed in the Palazzo Brera the gallery contains one of the foremost collections of Italian paintings.
• Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) - first built in the 15th century and continually added to, this is one of the biggest citadels in Europe and now houses several museums including the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, Museum of Ancient Art, Furniture Museum, Museum of Musical Instruments and the Applied Arts Collection, the Egyptian and Prehistoric sections of the Archaeological Museum and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection.
• La Scala - world renowned opera house which first opened in 1778 and renovated between 2002-4.
• Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio - built between 379-386 by St. Ambrose this is one of the oldest churches in Milan, styled on the large churches of Rome.
• Santa Maria presso San Satiro - built between 1472 to 1482 over an early church built in 879 by Anspertus and originally decorated inside with white and gold paint.
• Museo Poldi Pezzoli - founded in the 19th century as private collection of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, the museum contains an extensive collection of Italian painters.
• Pirelli Tower - 127.1m high tower was built in 1950 and is the second highest tower in Milan.
• Torre Velasca (Velasca Tower) - built in 1954 and standing 100m high this is a prominent landmark in the middle of Milan.

Milan Central Tourist Office IAT (Informazioni e Assistenza Turistica)
Piazza Castello 1
Milan

Milan Central Tourist Office
First Floor
Milan Central Railway Station.

Bus: National and international bus services to MM1 Lampugnano station
Car: Many major roads lead to Milan. It is about 140km from Genova, 277km from Venice and 50km south of the border with Switzerland.
Flight: Linate Airport and Malpensa Airport (and then Malpensa Express Trains). Budget airlines use Bergamo's Orio al Serio airport (45 km East) and Parma airport (100 km South).
Metro: Milan has an extensive Metro service.
Train: Central Station (Milano Centrale) with connections to most main Italian cities as well as some international destinations. The Suburban Railway System or S-lines provide good links around Milan itself.