DUOMO (CATHEDRAL)
Address: Piazza del Duomo 18 Tel: 02 7202 2656; Open: Daily 07:00-19:00. Dome – 09:00-17:00 Treasury – Mon-Fri 09:30-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, Sat 09:30-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Sun 13:30-16:00

The magnificent Duomo cathedral is one of Milan’s best-known landmarks. The building of the cathedral began in 1386 but it was not until 1809 that it was fully completed. Today, it is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world accommodating more than 40,000 worshippers. Its beautiful Gothic exterior is adorned with hundreds of marble statues and gargoyles. The stunning colourful mosaics of the cathedral’s stained glass windows are best viewed from the inside. Museo del Duomo, situated just across the square exhibits a collection of art and artefacts acquired from the cathedral.

MUSEO TEATRALE ALLA SCALA
Address: Largo Ghiringhelli 1, Piazza della Scala. Tel: 02 8879 2473; Website: www.teatroallascala.org Open: Daily 09:00-12:30 & 13:30-17:30 Admission: €5

Located just across the piazza from the world-renowned opera house La Scala, the museum displays an impressive collection of memorabilia that belonged to famous Italian performers and composers such as Puccini, Rossini and Toscanini. A large section of the museum is dedicated to the beloved Giuseppe Verdi and includes his hand written scores and musical instruments among the exhibits.

SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE (THE LAST SUPPER FRESCO)
Address: Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2, Corso Magenta Tel: 02 8942 1146 Open: Tue-Sun 08:15-18:00 (book tickets 2 months prior to visit) Admission: €8

This 15th century Renaissance-style church and monastery is the home of the famous Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece, the Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano). The fresco depicting the Christ’s revelation is one of Da Vinci’s best-known works. Painted between 1495 and 1497, the fresco has suffered severe damage over the centuries but the recent restoration has brought much of it back to life.

MUSEO POLDI-PEZZOLI
Address: Via Manzoni 12 Tel: 02 794 889 Website: www.museopoldipezzoli.it Open: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 Admission: €7 adults,€5 concessions (includes admission to La Scala Museum)

Set in a former palace surrounded by beautiful gardens, the museum houses a spectacular collection of paintings donated to the museum by Giacomo Poldi-Pezzoli in the late 19th century. Masterpieces by world-renowned artists such as Bellini, Botticelli, Guardi and Mantegna are exhibited here. The highlight is Piero del Pollaiolo’s Portrait of a Woman that adorns the wall off the Golden Room.

SFORZESCO CASTLE (MUSEUMS OF HISTORIC ART, APPLIED ARTS AND ARCHEOLOGY)
Address: Piazza Castello Tel: 02 88463700 Website: www.milanocastello.it Open: Daily 09:30-17:30 Admission: Castle- free. Museums - €3

Although built in the 14th century, the Sforzesco Castle is named after Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan who made it his home almost a hundred years later. The castle has undergone numerous restorations since, and was eventually transformed into several small museums. The Museum of Historic Art is the best known and contains a large collection of paintings and sculptures by renowned artists such as Bellini, da Vinci, Mantegna, Michelangelo and Titian. Museum of Applied Arts houses a collection of costumes, jewellery, pottery and furniture.

LEONARDO DA VINCI
NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM
Address: Via San Vittore 21 Tel: 02 485 551 Website: www.museoscienza.org Open: Tue, Thu-Fri 09:30-17:00 & Wed, Sat-Sun 09:30-18:30 Admission: €7 adults, €5 concessions

Housed in a 16th century monastery, the museum exhibits a large collection of models and objects, from steam engines to sailing ships, through which the visitors can explore the evolution of science and technology. The highlight of the museum is the Leonardo Gallery dedicated to the ingenious designs of the legendary Leonardo Da Vinci. It showcases more than one hundred of his drawings and models as well as accurate reconstructions of his original designs such as a revolving crane and a flying machine.

GALLERY OF MODERN ART
(CIVICA GALLERIA D’ARTE MODERNA)
Address: Villa Reale, Via Palestro 16 Tel: 02 7600 2819 Open: Tue-Sun 09:30-17:30 Admission: Free

The gallery is set in a lavish Neo-Classical palace that used to be Napoleon’s summer residence between 1805 and 1814. It houses an impressive collection of contemporary art by well-known artists such as Gaugin, Matisse and Picasso as well as an abundance of works by lesser-known Italian modernists.

GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II
Address: Piazza del Duomo

No visit to Milan would be complete without a spot of shopping. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is every shoppers paradise. The elegant four-storey arcade, stretching between the Duomo and La Scala, is packed full of exclusive designer shops, trendy cafés and bistros. The stylish Milanese come here not only to shop but also to relax after work. The stunning late-19th century building with its stained-glass dome and mosaic tiled floors is an attraction in itself.