Milano and the Opera

History

Some Highlights

La Scala opera house prepares for opening night.
Europa Riconosciuta to reopen Milan's La Scala opera house after almost three years of renovation.

Teatro degli Arcimboldi
For three seasons, starting on January 19.2002, the Teatro alla Scala has been transferred to the new Teatro degli Arcimboldi, built by the City of Milan in collaboration with Pirelli according to a design by Studio Gregotti Associati Intemational.

The hall, the only one in Milan with this construction, acoustic and visual features, makes it possible to continue the tradition of artistic excellence and quality productions.

Its larger capacity, with about 2,400 seats, arranged on two levels of stalls and two rows of galleries, makes it possible to offer about 500 more tickets for each performance and 1200 new season tickets.

The Teatro degli Arcimboldi is the first theatre in Italy to be equipped with a multilingual individual text-display system that can be used at the discretion of the individual spectator.

Milan has also been an international design centre for ages as you'll see by wandering from the Piazza San Babila along Corso Matteotti, Via Durini, Via Manzoni, Via Monte Napoleone and Via Santa Cecilia.

Galerie Victor Emanuele II
Also known as ' Il Salotto di Milano' (The Milan Salon), this internal, glass-roofed square is home to all of Milan's most expensive shops and flashest restaurants. Designed in 1864 by Giuseppe Mengoni, the superb archways and the magnificent iron and glass dome are especially impressive to behold.

Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio
Built by Saint Ambrose, the Patron Saint of Milan and dedicated to the Martyrs whose bones rest beneath its alter, the original Basilica dates back to the fourth century. In true Milanese style, the church was added on to and modified by following generations. In the 9th century, an elaborate alter of gold and silver leaf, studded with jewels and enamel, is a tribute to the master goldsmith Volvinio. The bell tower on the south was constructed in the 9th century, and the north tower added in the 12th century.

Il Duomo & Piazza del Duomo
More than 500 years in the making (1386 to 1887), the Duomo dominates Milan’s central square. It is Italy’s largest and most intricate example of Gothic architecture and a tribute to five centuries of artists, artisans, architects, builders, engineers, wealthy and ordinary citizens who contributed to its construction. Inside, five large naves are separated by colossal pillars and framed by the rare beauty and delicate artistry of the long stained-glass windows.
Adorned with more than three thousand statues, Perego’s Madonnina, who has kept her vigil from the cathedral’s highest spire since 1744, is the most loved. From the roof terraces, visitors may examine the Duomo’s spires and statues while enjoying a breath-taking view of Milan and, on a clear day, the snow-topped ring of the nearby Bergamo Alps.

S. Maria Delle Grazie
Originally constructed in austere Gothic style in 1490, the church and its adjoining convent are now a symbol of the glory of Renaissance Milan. Ludovico il Moro, in his quest to turn Milan into a beautiful rival of Florence, directed the architect Bramante (Donato di Pascuccio) to reconstruct the apse and lantern of his favourite church, St. Mary of Grace. Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint the frescos - the most famous being the Cenacolo or Last Supper, which graces the far wall of the adjacent Dominican dining hall.

Il Castello Sforzesco
Renaissance Milan in all its glory, this castle was constructed by Francesco Sforza as his residence and fortress in 1450. Much loved by the Sforza family, especially Galeazzo Maria Sforza and Ludovico il Moro who added many decorative features to the castle. After its abandon, the castle nearly became victim to an urbanization scheme calling for its demolition - luckily the plan was defeated and the castle restored by Luigi Beltrami, at the turn of this century. The castle houses many museums and collections.

Some Highlights

In the surrounding area

Palazzo Reale
Across the square from the Duomo is this two-floor neoclassical former seat of the city's rulers, which now houses the Duomo museum, temporary art exhibitions and the CIMAC, the Civic Museum for Contemporary Art.

Palazzo di Brera
In Milan's chic quarter of young designers, Brera boasts a palace of baroque splendour, housing the Fine Arts Academy and the prestigious Pinoteca, one of Italy's largest art museums. Here, in 38 rooms representing 700 years of Italian art, are works by Mantegna, Titian and Rafael, among many others.

Piazza Cordusio
From Piazza Cordusio there is a magnificent view of the Duomo cathedral at one end and the Castello Sforzesco at the other. A favourite shopping area, the nearby Piazza degli Affari, home of the Italian Stock Exchange, Chamber of Commerce and main branches of many major banks, make Piazza Cordusio one of the busiest places in the city. People, trams, buses, taxis and automobiles converge on the square during the peak hours, while only the tourists take time to enjoy the view.

Palazzo della Triennale
Originally founded as the Biennial Decorative Art Exhibition in Monza by the Milan-Monza Humanist Society in 1923, the Exhibition was moved to its present quarters in Milan’s Palazzo dell’Arte in 1933. The Triennale promotes innovation and design in architecture, industry, fashion and communications and every three years, organizes an international exhibition. The Triennale completes the square made by Castello Sforzesco, Arco della Pace (Arc of Peace) and the Arena.

Teatro alla Scala
The most famous opera house in the world, La Scala was built by Giuseppe Piermarini between 1776 and 1778. The opera house stands upon the ruins of the old church of Santa Maria della Scala, its namesake. Circled by greenery in Piazza Scala, a monument to Leonardo da Vinci provides the perfect backdrop for La Scala’s neoclassical architecture.

Piccolo Teatro
One of the most modern theatres in Milan, the Piccolo was founded in 1947 as Milan's first folk theatre.
Piccolo Teatro gained European acclaim under the brilliant director/actor Giorgio Strehler.
Some of the best known and loved performances at the Piccolo include the plays of Brecht and of course Strehler in his amazing interpretation of Faust.

Via Monte Napoleone
The most exclusive shopping area in Milan.
An elegant home for all the top names in fashion and design.
An afternoon spent in window shopping will not be enough time to see everything.
Luckily there are elegant pastry shops and tea rooms if you want to indulge yourself.

The area between Turin, Milan and Genoa is today known in Italy as the industrial triangle. And yet the names of these same cities evoke three of the most magnificent aspects of Italy's natural scenery: the Alps, at whose feet Turin spreads the regular network of its straight streets; the lakes, which are set like a diadem on the brow of the Lombard capital; and the sea of the two Rivieras which meet where Genoa sits, enthroned like a queen.

In very ancient times it was over the Alpine passes that the invader entered Italy the Gauls, Hannibal, the innumerable Barbarian tribes; and over these same passes the Roman legions poured into Gaul, into Switzerland and into Germany. This, then, is why the civilization of Piedmont and Lombardy seems so closely related to that of western and central Europe, and especially to that of one particular state, long since vanished, but of which evidence keeps reappearing like some not entirely forgotten memory of spiritual unity: the kingdom of Burgundy. But no invaders landed in Liguria; on the contrary, the merchants and, when necessary, the warriors of Genoa set out from its shores bound for the prosperous colonies of the eastern Mediterranean, or for the Crusades. Although their historical evolution from the Middle Ages on was by no means similar (Turin became the capital of a kingdom which was later to give birth to the Italian State; Genoa set itself up as an aristocratic republic; and Milan, after a brief seigniorial phase, fell under foreign rule), a profound and lively sense of unity exists between these three regions.

If you want to venture further afield, the spectacular Italian ski resort of Livigno is just four hours' drive away. Lake Como is just 30 minutes drive or an hour by train; from here take a boat to Bellagio, a beautiful town full of cafés, shops and famed for its gardens.

The aperitivo, a daily tradition
Here the aperitif is a tradition! Every day, from 6 pm, bars are invaded by hungry Milanese of all social classes. Salami, carpaccio, mortadella, bread, cheeses, olives and marinated anchovies are offered with the drink of your choice.

Rice and corn thrive in the northern climate, resulting in a rich repertoire of risottos and polentas. Veal, beef, butter, and cow's milk cheeses appear at nearly every meal, and sweetwater fish caught in Lombardy's many lakes (including Italy's largest, Lago di Garda, and its most opulent, Lago di Como) round out the diet. Braised veal shanks are a favorite on Lombard tables; serve with saffron risotto for a truly Milanese feast.

Hot Soup
Minestrone Soup & the «busecca»

Panettone :
The cherished Italian holiday bread. Jeweled with candied fruits (particularly citrus) and raisins, it first came into being in Milan about 1490 and was quickly adopted throughout Italy, from the Alps to Sicily.
In Milan, businessmen adopted the habit of giving panettone as a Christmas gift to their clients.

Sport

Traditional customs and Festivals

Things to Do  

European giants
Two FIFA World Cups and countless major finals have been played here, most recently the UEFA Champions League final of 2001. AC Milan's lifting of the trophy two years later brought the city a record 16th item of European silverware. Milan have won six European Champion Clubs’ Cup titles and their Serie A title last season was their 17th Italian league success. Internazionale have won two European Cups and 13 league titles but have been starved of success in recent seasons

Did you know?
In keeping with the stylish English expatriate lifestyle of the era, the original founding members of the Milan FC Club (now AC Milan) used to meet over cocktails at the fashionable American Bar near the Duomo. Tyre magnate Piero Pirelli, who funded the construction of the San Siro, was also a regular. The breakaway Italian and Swiss members who would form Internazionale FC met at the backroom of the Orologio restaurant nearby

Milan likes to celebrate both the spiritual and material worlds with equal gusto. Among the highlights of the former is the annual Festa della Nivola (Festival of the Nail), which takes place September 15-18 at the duomo (cathedral). The archbishop of Milan takes to the air in his own private deus ex machina to recover a nail, stored near the cathedral ceiling, that was purportedly hammered into Jesus a couple of millennia ago. Carnivale which livens up Milan the week before Ash Wednesday, is a combination of Christian reverence and secular revelry.

If you feel the need for speed, Milan has the raceway for you: The Monza Autodrome, 31km (15 miles) northeast of the city, hosts the Italian Grand Prix, where the top designers from Fiat, Jaguar and Ferrari show off their finest formula one racers at an average speed of 250km/hr (150 mi/hr).

The Festa di Sant'Ambrogio (7 December) is Milan's biggest feast day. Celebrations take place at the Fiera di Milano, the trade, conference and exhibition centre north-west of the city centre. La Scala marks the solemn occasion by opening its opera season on this day. The first 10 days of June are devoted to the Festa del Naviglio, a smorgasbord of parades, music and other performances. Milan plays year-round host to fairs of all kinds - the big fashion shows are held in January, February/March, June/July and September/October. The Milan Jazz Festival swings the city in November, and is the highlight of a jam-packed, year-round calendar of jazz festivals.

Museo Teatrale alla Scala
Museo Teatrale alla Scala, which is full of historical mementos of this celebrated opera house and memorabilia from Verdi, Rossini, Puccini and Toscanini.

Museo Archeologico
The Museo, houses fascinating remnants of Etruscan, Greek and Roman Milan, including mosaics, glass phials and busts.

Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica Leonardo da Vinci
The Museo set in the former Olivetani monastery, boasts 40,000 square metres of space, with 15,000 objects including a reconstructed Art Nouveau train station.

Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
At the dawn of the 17th century, Cardinal Federico Borromeo commissioned the building of this art gallery and library. The collection of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana includes many paintings of the Lombard and Venetian school. Raphael’s cartoon of The School of Athens, Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit, Jacopo Bassano’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt, hang alongside paintings attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis and a noteable collection of designs by some of the great masters. The library houses many rare volumes and manuscripts.

Pinacoteca di Brera
Brera is Milan’s artistic centre and is one of the most beautiful areas of the city. On foot or by bicycle, the winding cobbled streets lead to hidden treasures.
The Pinacoteca Art Gallery, the Braidense National Library and the Accademia di Belle Arti (Art Academy) are at home in the beautiful Palazzo Brera.
In the Pinacoteca gallery, there are more than 600 works by masters of the Lombard and Venetian schools which date from the 15th to the 18th century. The most prestigious works are by Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Gentile Bellini, Tintoretto, Ercole de' Roberti, Piero della Francesca, Raphael and Caravaggio. In the exquisite courtyard, Antonio Canova’s bronze statue of Napoleon Bonaparte greets visitors to the Academy and the Braidense National Library, founded in 1770 by Marie-Thérèse of Austria.

Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Gian Giacomo Poldi-Pezzoli opened his private collection to the public in 1881. An interesting collection of paintings dating from the 14th century, fine artisan displays of gold work, enamel work, Murano glass, ceramics, furnishings, textiles, lace, tapestries, clocks, arms and armour. This red velvet altar cover is just one example of the fine quality materials and workmanship of the textiles used for church decorations and clothes of the noble classes of the Renaissance era. A similar pattern was favoured and worn by Beatrice d’Este at the Venetian court in 1493.

Hotels

Restaurants  

Web Sites

Grand Hotel Duomo *****L
Via San Raffaele, 1
Tel. +39 02 88 33 39 - Fax. +39 02 86 462 027
info@grandhotelduomo.com
www.grandhotelduomo.com
Good example of architecture the Grand Hotel Duomo is located in a very good an unique position in front of the Duomo Cathedral and offers a comfortable and refined atmosphere, enriched by artworks by Fornasetti, Minguzzi, Villani, Melotti and Melandri.
It’s the only hotel in Milan situated on the Duomo Square and have 3 restaurants: Café des Arts, Ristorante Duomo and l`Orangerie. At disposal of the guests fitness center, meeting rooms, non smoking rooms and facilities for disabled. The Hotel has 162 rooms, 20 suites all with view on the Cathedral with all the best comforts.

Straf
Via San Rafaele 3
Tel. +39 02 80 50 81 - Fax. +39 02 89 09 52 94
www.straf.it
In the heart of Milan, there is a new design hotel: the STRAF, only few steps away from the Duomo Cathedral, the Galleria, La Scala Opera House, the shopping district and the fashionable Via Montenapoleone. An inspired fusion of Italian fashion, original design and elegance, with the latest technology and impeccable service. The old façade dated 1800, contributes to create an unusual contrast with a minimalist design. Its 66 Rooms and Suites fuse the best of design and functionality with a maximum comfort in a relaxed atmosphere marked out by rare materials. The Lounge Bar offers an unconventional atmosphere. A Gym open to hotel guests 24 hours a day.

Savini
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Tel. + 39 02 72 00 34 33
Located in the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele just a few steps from La Scala theatre, the Savini restaurant has been synonymous of the best that Milan offers since it first opened in 1867. To sit at one of the Savini’s tables means taking an active part in the life of Milan’s movers and shakers
Premier cuisine including the local specialities like the famous risotto.

Baci & Abbracci
Via Edmondo De Amicis 44
Tel. +39 02 890 13 605
Contemporary design fronts this stunning eating and drinking space, worth a wait in line purely to let yourself be bowled over by the sheer minimalism of it all. Traditional Italian dishes as well as 700 different types of pizzas star on the far-from-minimalist menu.

Marchesi
Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11a
Tel. +39 02 87 67 30
This legendary cafe has been in the cake and coffee business since 1824. Its heavily wood-panelled interior shelters luscious displays of all different kinds of chocloate.

Boccondivino
Via Giosuè Carducci 17
Tel. +39 02 86 60 40
All aboard Boccondivino for a gastronomic voyage through the succulent territory of Italy. Assemble a few courses from a choice of 40 different cheeses and dozens of smoked and dried meats. Wash it all down with a few glasses of plonk from their staggering list of 900 wines. There are also wine tasting courses to reassure the intimidated.

Il Coriandolo
Via dell'Orso 1
Tel. +39 02 869 32 73
Il Coriandolo, on Brera's southern fringe, is an elegant spot with an ornately moulded ceiling and a delicious risotto alla vecchia maniera Milanese (risotto in the old Milanese style). It's a delightful place to experience charming Milanese hospitality and fine food.

Antica Trattoria della Pesa
Via Pasubio 10
Tel. +39 02 655 57 41
This traditional trattoria with its signature bottle-filled windows lures a chic crowd, thanks to its hip location only a meal away from the Corso Como nightlife scene. The place has been feeding hungry Milanese since 1880 and had the historic pleasure of serving Ho Chi Minh the best of Lombard food.

Antica Osteria Milano
Via M. Camperio 12
Tel. +39 02 86 13 67
A tribute to Milanese stoicism, this traditional, unfrilly trattoria fills up with suits (predominantly males) every lunchtime. The daily lunch specials are wholesome and well priced. Reward yourself with the essential sweet, meneghina alla griglia al Grand Marnier (baked Milanese sponge cake soaked in liqueur).

Bahnhof
Via Giuseppe Ferrari
Tel. +39 02 290 01 511
In the pits overlooking the railway leading into Stazione Porta Garibaldi is one of Milan's top places to see and be seen. In keeping with the railway theme it touts a minimalist stainless-steel interior. The good service and moderately priced food will make you forget the heights you had to scale to get here.

Trattoria da Pino
Via Cerva 14
Tel. +39 02 760 00 532
Nowhere can beat the cost-quality ratio dished up by this fabulous authentic and unpretentious trattoria, where strangers dine at shared tables. The place, tucked down a quiet side street, gets packed by noon with Milanese workers. Its lunchtime menu is built solely from hearty homemade cooking and has a 25cl jug of wine (or 50cl of mineral water) thrown in.

Milano Tourist Office
www.turismo.comune.milano.it
www.comunedimilano.it
www.milanoinfotourist.it
www.milanoin.it