An Overview of Milan

Known as a major art nexus, Milan is one of the most famous exhibition, fashion, museum and performance cities in Italy. The large city also serves as a prominent financial and manufacturing hub. While the urban space is famous for being the home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and the iconic Gothic Cathedral, the Duomo, there are many other strange things to see in Milan.

Strange Things To See In Milan, Italy

L.O.V.E. Middle Finger (Il Dito)

More commonly called  Il Dito (Italian for ‘the finger‘), this is a unique, quintessentially Italian marble statue. It shows a giant middle finger, carved from white travertine marble.

Bosco Verticale

Otherwise known as “Vertical Forest” these are two residential towers which are designed to accommodate dense foliage and garden spaces. The towers are part of a creative urban reforestation project used to reintegrate nature and cleaner air into Milan’s environment.

Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli

Formerally known as Giardini Pubblici and Giardini di Porta Venezia, these gardens are a major historic park in the heart of Milan. They contain numerous relaxing walking trails as well as unique landmarks such as Palazzo Dugnani, the Paleolab Fossil Museum, the Villaggio delle Meraviglie tourist park, the Milan Natural History Museum and Civico Planetario Ulrico Hoepli (Milan Planetarium).

Museo Civio di Storia Naturale di Milano

Founded in 1838, this museum started as a private naturalist collection donated by Giuseppe de Cristoforis. The museum now hosts in-depth exhibits on Mineralogy, Paleontology, the Natural History of Man, Invertebrate Zoology and Vertebrate Zoology.

Duomo di Milano

The Duomo di Milano is the main Cathedral of Milan, a massive Gothic structure with numerous spires. The Cathedral is central to Milan’s identity,  known for its grandeur and beauty. It houses thousands of statues and hundreds of gargoyles and church figures.

Milan’s Historic Trams

Milan’s tram network can easily be seen throughout the city. Bright yellow, elegant and old fashioned, Milan’s trams are a part of it’s regular transportation network. Visitors can use the trams with the same tickets and cards purchased at other bus stops and metros in the city.

Sforzesco Castle

The Castello Sforzesco is a medieval-renaissance fortress complex leading into Sempione Park. The complex is home to numerous historical museums and artworks, including pieces completed by masters such as da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Science and Technology Museum, Leonardo da Vinci

The Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan is an amazing museum entirely dedicated to the genius mind of da Vinci. The interior of the museum holds prototypes, replicas and theoretical creations regarding da Vinci’s inventions. There are also numerous notes and drawings copied from da Vinci’s journals.

Parco della Preistoria di Rivolta

This Prehistoric Park is an large, beautiful, Italian naturalist park located a half hour East from Milan. The park is marketed towards children, as much of it is filled with enormous, life-sized dinosaur recreations.

Teatro alla Scala

This is an internationally famous opera house known for some of the grandest singers and performances to ever emerge from Italy. The theatre is regarded as one of the leading ballet and opera centers globally. The La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet, La Scala Theatre Orchestra, and the Filarmonica della Scala orchestra all call this venue home.

Santa Maria delle Grazie

This large church and Dominican convent is a illustrious UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the legendary mural of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The masterpiece can be found in the church’s refectory.

Pinacoteca di Brera

This is Milan’s largest collection of public galleries and Italian paintings, ranging from the 13th to the 20th century.

Arco della Pace

Also known as “The Arch of Peace” this triumphant arch is one of the most distinguished symbols of Milan. It was built in 1807 by the neoclassical architect Luigi Cagnola to celebrate the Napoleonic victories.

Piazza Gae Aulenti

This modern square is surrounded by interesting contemporary skyscrapers and shops, accented at night by colorful fountains and unique lights.

BAM Tree Library Milan

This garden park and botanical garden is home to interesting landscape designs. It’s a popular venue for community events.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery contains missive domed arcades, beautiful statues, ornate walls and some of the most compelling window-shops in the world.

San Bernardino alle Ossa

This is a large ossuary built to collect and store bones which were overflowing from the adjacent cemetary, the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan. After a new hospital was built and more deceased began arriving, the local graveyard proved insufficient. The bones were oriented in a small side-chapel, using the skulls and skeletons as decorations.

Mudec Museum

This is one of the leading museums in Milan. Operating out of a stunningly restored and reformed factory, this sleek museum hosts a rotating series of exhibitions for art and culture.

Monumental Cemetery

The Monumental Cemetery of Milan is a artistic institution, known for it’s incredibly detailed sculptures and numerous tomb-and-artistic styles. Though the cemetery is noted for its abundance of artistic tombs and monuments, the stunningly rendered Edicola Bernocchi monument with an upwards spiral of open-air marble statues stands out.

Bar Luce

For fans of Wes Anderson’s unique cinematic styles and visuals, Bar Luce is an interesting place. The meticulous 1950-styled motifs Wes Anderson uses on sets are also used in this Milanese café, designed entirely by the filmmaker himself.

Castello Pozzi

This location contains an amusing sculpture: A house-sized house-of-cards standing in a triangle on pavement.

Read more about strange things to see in Milan and exploring the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.