This is Milan, Italy. As you can see Milan
is amazing and beautiful with an incredibly rich heritage that includes one of the most
famous and mysterious paintings in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. This is one of
the richest and most fashionable places in Europe. Here they have the most famous opera theatre in
the world and behind me is the largest Cathedral in Italy and third largest in the world. This
is also a world capital of fashion and a host of the Winter Olympics in 2026. Hi guys, my name
is Rok and I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling around Europe as a tour guide and I can’t
wait to show you Things To Do In Milan, Italy. One of the best places to start exploring Milan
is the top of this tower. This is the highest point of Milan with the height of 108 meters or
354 feet and it offers one of the best views of Milan's Skyline. Tower was erected in 1933 in the
historic city centre within the Sempione park. Its modern lift system will transport you to the
scenic terrace on the top in less than a minute. From there you can admire the view for
about 7 minutes as the tour is time limited. Only up to 5 people may visit
the top of the tower at the same time so it is a good idea to book it in advance. I will
put the booking link in the description below. Opening times are changing depending on
the season, but in general the tower is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and in
case of bad weather or strong wind. On the edge of Sempione park is this triumphal
Arch of Peace that represents one of the city gates of Milan. The origin of this gate dates back
to Roman times when Milan was a capital of Western Roman Empire surrounded by city walls. When in the
400s Germanic people of Visigoths besieged Milan, centuries of instability and wars followed that
destroyed most of the Roman legacy. In the middle Ages Milan became part of The Holy Roman Empire
that again brought peace and prosperity and Milan developed into a centre of trade and grew into one
of the largest European cities. At the end of the 1300s Milan became independent as the Visconti
family took control of the city. Their coat of arms with a serpent swallowing a man dominated the
city and it can still be seen around. The Visconti coat of arms has become a historic symbol of the
city and is also part of the logo of famous car brand from Milan, Alfa Romeo. In the mid 1400s new
ruling family the House of Sforza rose to power and turned Milan into one of the leading cities
of the Italian Renaissance, where among others Leonardo Da Vinci worked and lived. In the 1500s
Milan was conquered by a Spanish King and later by the Austrian Empire. In 1800 Napoleon conquered
Northern Italy including Milan and to commemorate his victories he commissioned the building of this
arch. But the work was not completed as Napoleon was soon defeated, and Milan was returned to the
Austrians. Austrian Emperor Franz Josef ordered the completion of this arch and it was dedicated
to the restored peace after Napoleon’s defeat. But peace didn’t last long as Milan rebelled
against Austrian rule and in 1859 French and Italian troops defeated the Austrians. The Kingdom
of Italy was born and Milan became part of it. In his many years in Milan, Leonardo Da Vinci
left a big impact. All over the city you can find museums and galleries dedicated to his
life and work showing his engineering ingenuity and his artistic excellence. Leonardo3 is
one of those places located on a prominent spot in the most famous and beautiful 19th century
shopping gallery. Here you can see the best wooden working models of machines designed by Leonardo.
Models were built by studying daVinci's designs. Besides the real models there are also
interactive touch screens where you can see Leonardo's original drawings, how a model
was put together and how it works all in great graphics. This is the most modern, interactive
and interesting exhibition of Leonardo's machines. Exhibition is constantly expanding and updating
with new models being built by studying Codex Atlanticus, a collection of more than 22 hundred
pages of notes and sketches made by Leonardo. Digital version of the amazing Codex Atlanticus is
also on display to visitors. Also if you couldn’t get a ticket to see the original Last Supper
painted by Da Vinci in the nearby convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, you can admire it here in a
digitally restored version with information about the science and story behind it. This interesting
exhibition will take you about an hour. Surprisingly this is a cemetery although it
looks more like an open air gallery. This large cemetery was created in 1866 to unify several
small cemeteries scattered around the city. The cemetery is full of beautiful
bi-coloured marble with a mixture of architectural styles created by
the greatest sculptors of the time. At the main entrance you can find a map showing
where to find the most impressive tombs. As soon as you walk through the main entrance
you will see an area where hundreds of Italy’s most renowned architects, sportsmen, actors,
journalists, musicians and other VIPs are buried. But the most impressive tombs are a white
sculpted tower that represents the life and death of Christ, belonging to the Bernocchi family,
a curious pyramid built for the Bruni family and several sculptures representing The Last
Supper commissioned by the Campari family, inventors of appetitive. The cemetery is open
from 8 am until 6 pm and is closed on Mondays. This is a very popular neighbourhood to hangout
and to experience nightlife in Milan. Navigli is THE place for an early evening drink known
as aperitif, that was actually invented here. Main features of this neighbourhood are its
two water canals and their meeting point called Darsena that used to be one of the busiest ports
in Italy. Since Milan doesn’t have a river, like any other major inland city, a network of man made
canals known as Navigli was built in the Middle Ages. These canals linked Milan to major rivers
and lakes in order to enable transport of goods, building materials and provided
irrigation for the growing city. While other canals were covered by new roads
and buildings, two of Milan’s last canals are still here. Their banks are filled with numerous
restaurants, bars, artisan shops and riverside boutiques. These canals are also part of
the legacy of Leonardo Da Vinci as he made navigation between Milan and Lake Como possible.
The problem was the altitude difference between the two places and Leonardo solved the problem
by creating an innovative system of locks. This is one of the largest science and technology
museums in Europe housed in a 16th century monastery. This is a great place to visit if
you have plenty of time to spend and you like technology. Museum reflects the technical and
productive spirit of Milan by showing the history of scientific development. Exhibition includes
extremely interesting artefacts from moon rock to ocean liner, a submarine and even a rocket. At the
Museum you can discover exhibits and interactive workshops on energy, materials, communication,
transport, energy and particle physics. Part of the museum is also dedicated to Leonardo
da Vinci and shows a collection of accurately reconstructed wooden models of machinery designed
by Leonardo da Vinci. These historical models were made from Leonardo’s original drawings and were
built by architects, engineers and model makers. This huge place offers a wonderful
experience in science and technology, especially for young families, just be
aware that the museum is closed on Mondays. This is Brera palace located in the fashionable
Brera neighbourhood. This beautiful renaissance palace from the 1600s was built as a Jesuit
college, but since the mid 1700s it’s been used as Academy of Fine Arts. Here is one of the finest
Art Galleries in Italy. The gallery can be found on the first floor and its collection includes top
shelf Renaissance and Baroque art. The impressive exhibition is especially concentrated
in religious-themed works from the 14th to the 16th centuries as art from closed
or demolished churches was stored here. The paintings are placed in chronological
order throughout the gallery’s 38 halls and hung together depending
on the school they belong to. The most famous painting in the gallery is
Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin from 1504, the finest work of his first period. There are
also beautiful Supper at Emmaus from Caravaggio, famous The Kiss from Francesco Hayez, Rubens Last
Supper and many other priceless masterpieces. This is one of the most famous opera houses in
the world where the world's greatest opera singers perform. Here great composers like Verdi and
Puccini premiered their works. This opera house was built in the 1700s by replacing an old church
of Santa Maria alla Scala, from which the theatre got its name. La Scala soon became the meeting
place for noble and wealthy Milanese people in their lavishly decorated boxes. Theatre was
renovated in 1907 when it was given its current layout and capacity of almost 2000 people. Inside
are 6 tiers of seating with individual boxes framing the stage in a semi-circle. Opera house
can be visited as part of the guided tour, although at the time of my visit tours were
limited due to covid restrictions. By visiting The Opera’s museum you can also have a glimpse of the
Theatre’s interior if rehearsals and performances are not in progress. On the official website
you can find a timetable showing when theatre is visible from the museum. I’ll put the link in
the description below. This castle is one of the landmarks of Milan. This huge building houses the
best collection of different museums and galleries in the city. But for centuries citizens of
Milan wanted to demolish this castle as it served as a symbol foreign domination. The castle
was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, as his residence. The Sforza family
invited various artists to decorate the castle including Leonardo da Vinci who frescoed several
rooms. The Sforza family made Milan one of the leading cities of the Italian Renaissance but
the family soon died out. Years of instability followed and eventually Milan was taken by
the Spanish king. Under Spanish domination the castle was militarised and has become a
garrison for 3,000 soldiers. After the Spaniards came the Austrians that turned this castle
into one of the largest citadels in Europe. After the Austrians were defeated and
Milan became part of Kingdom of Italy, the castle was demilitarised and ceded to the
city. People of Milan were torn between keeping the castle or replacing it with a new residential
neighbourhood. As you can see the castle was preserved and restored to its original shape when
it was used as a residence by the Sforza family. The restoration was completed in 1905
and included creation of the nearby Sempione park where we started this video.
Castles courtyards are open to the public with no admission. But if you have the
time you should also visit castles museums. Inside this convent is one of the most famous and
mysterious artistic masterpieces in the world, The Last Supper painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.
The complex was built from the 1400s onwards and the famous painting was completed in 1498.
The Last Supper was painted on the wall of the dining hall of the monastery and it is huge.
The scene shows a reaction of deeply shaken Apostles at the last supper immediately after
Jesus said to them One of you will betray me. But rather than using fresco Leonardo created
the painting using a dry technique with a special tempera that he had invented. This enabled him
to do slow progress suited for making changes. But because of the technique used, the painting
began to deteriorate twenty years after it was completed. Over the years numerous restoration
attempts have been made, but the painting still represents a challenge due to its fragility. To
preserve the painting a constant room temperature is required and that is why entry has been
restricted to a group of 25 people every 15 minutes. There is also a second huge fresco on the
opposite wall that no one talks about, made at the same time as Leonardo's masterpiece. It is titled
Crucifixion and was painted by Giovanni Donato. Booking ahead is needed and reservations open up
every two months for the following two months. For booking you should check out the official
website of Leonardo’s Last Supper museum to learn how to book a ticket
and how to visit the museum. This is Italy's oldest active shopping gallery
that connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks, The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala.
But this beautiful gallery has become a landmark on its own. It was built in the 1860s and was
named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. Impressive triumphal
arch entrance leads in a four story space with two glass-vaulted arcades covering the street
connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. Two arcades are intersecting in a large glass
dome. Under the dome the floor is decorated by four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of Milan
and three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy Turin, Florence and Rome. The legend goes
that if you step on the testicles of the bull on the Turin coat of arms and spin on
a heel three times this will bring you good luck. In the gallery are luxury retailers selling
exclusive custom fitted high-end fashion, jewellers, book shops, galleries, a
museum of Leonardo I showed you earlier as well as some of the oldest restaurants
and cafés and even a luxury hotel. This is the largest church in Italy, the
second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. To put it in simple
words, this is a ridiculously huge church. Milan cathedral known as Duomo di Milan
took nearly six centuries to complete. The construction began in 1386 and the final details
were completed only in 1965. The exterior of this gothic style Cathedral is covered in pink and
white marble and is decorated with thousands of intricately carved spires and statues. This church
actually holds a world record with a total of 3400 statues both within and on the exterior of a
cathedral. The highest spire is 108 metres or 356 feet high and on its top is a golden copper statue
of Mary known as the Madonnina, the symbol of Milan. There are also 55 stain glass windows made
from the late 1300s to the late 1900s. Cathedral is also impressive on the inside where you can see
52 columns made of marble and carved statues that reach the ceiling. The interior includes numerous
monuments and artworks including the statue of St. Bartholomew, sculpted with meticulous attention
to detail showing the apostle’s body being flayed alive and his skin draped over his shoulders. Here
is also the relic of the Sacred Nail, allegedly taken from the cross of Christ’s crucifixion. But
one of the biggest attractions is the visit of the rooftops known as Duomo terraces from where
you can admire the inspiring panorama of Milan. Milan is one of the richest cities
in the world with an amazing heritage and it offers many more interesting things to
do. But Milan is also a fashion capital of Europe and you may wonder how come my list of things
to do in Milan doesn’t include shopping. As shopping is taken extremely seriously
around here I prepared a special video dedicated only to shopping. That upcoming video
will show you the best shopping areas in Milan on a proper Shopping Tour and will be available
in the top right corner. If you like this video please give it a thumbs up. You can share your
questions, suggestions or experience about Milan in the comments below. And don’t forget to
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Thanks for watching, and see you next time.
