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 Triumphal gate |
Piazza Sempione Milan, Milan 20121 Italy |
With the fortifications for Castello Sforzesco destroyed in 1801 under Napoleon's instructions, a large space was created for the Piazza Sempione but a monumental construction was also required to mark the entrance to the city. The arch was begun in 1807 in honour of Napoleon and only finished in 1838 (for the occasion of the coronation of Ferdinando I as King of Lombardy-Venetia.) by the neoclassical architect Luigi Cagnola, inspired by Settimo Severo's arch in Rome. The result was a structure involving three colossal Corinthian columns with isolated customs boxes either side. The arch is made of granite from Baveno and adorned with marble from Crevola di Ossola, surmounted by the famous 'sestiga della pace' (the work of Abbondio Sangiorio) and by four statues of victorious men on horseback. On the trabeation the four rivers of Lombardy-Venetia are featured: the Po, the Ticino, the Adige and the Tagliamento) surrounded by bas-reliefs that feature episodes from the Restoration. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Paul New |
 Photo: Pauline Randall  |
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 Photo: Valentina Ferraris |
 Photo: Riccardo Fiandra |
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 20th century masterpiece |
12 Via Moscova Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 7252 4301 (L'ufficio Turistico) |
This was designed in 1919-1923 by the Studio Barelli-Colonnese, where the young Muzio also worked. The strange name is due to the perplexed reactions that the building aroused after completion. In fact, it is completely different from the architecture of its day, in that it adopts a quiet, abstract, geometric form of decoration, in which architectural orders and decor are treated as two-dimensional graphic elements. Despite the criticism at the time, today it is considered a masterpiece of Italian early 20th-century architecture. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 On the site of the former 'Foppone' church |
25 Via Lodovico Settala Milan, Milan 20124 Italy |
This stands on the site of the former 'Foppone' church, it was a large Milan cemetery, demolished in 1881, which was the burial place of those who died in the great plagues of 1576 and 1630. It is now the site of the San Gregorio Church built according to the plans of Francesco Solmi between 1905 and 1908. In eclectic Romanesque-Lombardo style it was inspired by the Romanesque parochial church in Melzo, having a single nave and supported truss with large pointed archways. The pyx used by Carlo Borromeo to communicate with those affected by the plague has been kept in the parochial house whilst in the crypt, several tombstones have been preserved, they were once part of monuments to famous people buried in the San Gregorio cemetary, such as di Vincenzo Monti, Andrea Appiani and Carlo Porta. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Neoclassical sports grounds |
2 Viale Giorgio Byron Milan, Milan 20154 Italy +39 2 34 1924 |
Deliberately located in the restructured Castello Sforzesco area in order to provide a stable home for festivities and celebratory events for the Repubblica Cisalpina and the new Regno d'Italia, the Arena Civica was designed by The neoclassical architect Luigi Canonica in 1805 at the north eastern end of the Parco Sempione. Built with materials taken from the castle ruins and modelled on Roman amphitheatres, the Arena has an elliptic floor with four main entrances: to the south-east stands the Triumphal Arch in granite framed with two pairs of golden columns; opposite this is the Porta delle Carceri flanked by two towers, as found in roman models. On the north eastern side is the Porta Libitinaria and on the south west the Loggia Reale which has a monlithic Corinthian column in granite. Now used as a sports ground, the elegant construction has seen some changes this century to increase spectator capacity, transforming the terraces. The characteristic curtain of trees that ran alongside the terraces was also removed and the channel that wound along the stalls and brought canal water in also allowed the passage of famous 'naumachie'. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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The building of Milan's famous newspaper |
28 Via Solferino Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 7252 4301 (L'ufficio Turisfico) |
The building that now houses the newspaper 'Corriere della Sera' founded in 1876, was designed in 1903-04 by Luca Beltrami, an art historian, architect and one of the founders of the newspaper which he edited for a while. Subsequently heightened by Luigi Repossi and expanded in 1960-65 by Alberto Rosselli with the rotary press building in the direction of San Marco, the building replaced its original Eclectic style with a more sober and essential look. Characterised by the use of innovative construction techniques such as reinforced concrete, it is a simple rectangle in shape with a plastered brick front, and wide low arches surrounded by classical decorations. The elegant motifs with pilasters, volutes, branches and wreaths of laurel leaves with the newspaper's monogram in the centre are all elements one of the first and most successful pieces of architecture for the services' sector in Milan. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Neo-Romanesque 19th c. building |
8 Viale Monte Grappa Milan, Milan 20124 Italy +39 2 7252 4301 (L'ufficio Turisfico) |
After three temporary sites were set up offering meals at a low price, the Cucine Economiche (Cheap Meals) building was constructed in 1886 near the old Gabelle bridge over the Naviglio della Martesana. The building was designed by Luigi Broggi and is an example of Milanese Neo-Romanesque. The purpose of the building was reflected in its strict rationality and pure volumetry. Split on two floors (the kitchens and dining room on the ground floor and the offices upstairs), it is characterized by elegant decorative elements: the low arched doorways and windows, the alternating bands of ceramic and plaster, the simple motifs in staggered brick are an effective and remarkable example of architecture in a charitable building. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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A result of the revival of the monk Martin Luther. |
10 Via Pinamonte da Vimercate Milan 20121 Italy +39 026599603 |
Christian Baptist churches are part of the large evangelical family born from the revival by the monk Martin Luther who wanted to reform the church in 1500 recalling the fundamental principals of the gospel. The Christian Evangelical Baptist church affirms the supremacy of individual faith and the authority of the gospel in every religious framework. The first Baptist missionaries to take part in the evangelisation of Italy in 1863 were Edward Clarke and James Wall. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Distributors, emblems and industrial products. |
14 Via Tirano Palazzolo Milanese Milan, Milan 20100 Italy +39 2 910 1398 http://www.museo-fisogni.org/ |
The museum of the service station was founded in 1966 by Guido Fisogni at the start of his work in the building and maintenance of service stations. The collection, one of a kind, has over 6500 pieces which put together the evolution of these industrial products. Inside the museum there are 200 period petrol pumps as well as several oil cans, lubricators, number plates and designs linked to the industry. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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The Napoleonic barracks |
19 Corso Buones Aires Milan, Milan 20129 Italy |
Along Corso Buones Aires, a crowded, commercial, Milanese street of ancient origin is this long, old Austrian barracks. Called the 'Caserma Napoleonica', it was originally built for the Austrian army on the north east side of the Lazzaretto. After the Unification of Italy, the military were dismissed from here and it became a home and the location of craftsmen's workshops. The simple, eighteenth century facade has survived, although some of it has been ruined by the windows and signs of the shops. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Collection of art by Minguzzi |
11 Via Palermo Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 3656 5440 http://www.lucianominguzzi.it/ |
The Museum is located in a four storey 17th-century building. Completely renovated, it houses the works of Minguzzi on the lower floor, in the area which was once used to conserve ice. The Museum hosts sculptures, models, and works by the Bolognese Artist from the 1930s to 1997. One finds works dedicated to the themes of civilization and to the men of the "Lager" (concentration camp prisoners). A special feature are the wood panels which reproduce the door of Good and Evil from Saint Peter's Cathedral at Rome. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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The main railway station |
Piazza Duca d' 'Aosta Milan, Milan 20124 Italy +39 2 6371 2016 http://www.grandistazioni.it/m... |
The wide avenue Viale Vittor Pisani, from Piazza della Repubblica, brings you to the monumental Central Station of Milan, built between 1912, the date of the tender competition, and 1931, when it was opened. The façade of the station, in Aurisina stone, has a Pharaonic scale that is inevitably compared to Germanic culture. In the gallery at the entrance, medallions by Giannino Castiglioni depict Work, Commerce, Science and Agriculture, while the first-floor gallery is embellished by panels in ceramic with views of Milan, Turin, Florence and Rome by Basilio and Cascella. Inside the station there is the waxworks museum. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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 The city's cemetery |
1 Piazzale Cimitero Maggiore Milan, Milan 20151 Italy |
For those who feel up to it, this enormous complex is well worth a visit for both its historic and artistic value. The central building was designed by Maciachini and constructed from 1860 to 1897. It is in Neo-Medieval style with Tuscan, Venetian and Lombard touches. Showing a skilful use of various types of marbles and stones, it reflects the trend of the period of reviving Medieval Italian styles. It is set at the end of a wide avenue running from Porta Volta. The entrance takes you to the central part of the "Famedio" that houses the mortal remains of famous Milanese citizens (such as Cattaneo, Manzoni etc.), and that runs into two lateral arms on two levels, with further galleries that border the front square. The vast area behind includes an ossuary-building at the centre, and, further back, a small area for cremation. The sumptuous richness of the chapels and funeral monuments makes the cemetery a sort of "open-air museum of contemporary Italian statuary and architecture" (Mezzanotte). It has recently been enlarged with a "camouflage" system in Neo-Gothic brickwork, that has sparked off a lot of critical debate. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: M. Bayard |
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 Photo: David Mellis |
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The waters of the Adda in Milan |
Naviglio della Martesana Milan, Milan 20125 Italy |
The Martesana was built at the orders of Filippo Maria Visconti between 1457-60 with the initial purpose of providing irrigation water to increase agricultural yields; it was later decided to use it as a method of communication with the Adda valley, Bergamo and Brescia. To overcome the rise of 20 metres between Milan and the river Adda, Leonardo da Vinci improved the system of locks and natural basins: over a distance of almost 40 kilometres, the waters of the Adda were taken from Trezzo to the city, then into the Scaricatore canal, and from there into the Redefossi canal that joined the river Lambro south of Milan. From the second half of the 17th century, the Martesana did not represent a trading and agricultural reality and its banks were lined with the country residences of wealthy Milanese. There were many splendid villas including Villa Alari Visconti, Villa Uboldo, Villa Biancani at Cernusco, Villa Rey at Anzago and Villa Castelbarco at Vaprio. Navigation on the canal began to fall off in the 20th c. In 1933, the stretch between Via Castelfidardo to Via Melchiorre Gioia in the city was covered over and those parts of the canal in Milan that were uncovered were neglected. Now that a cycling route has been opened along the towpath from Milan to Casano d'Adda, it is possible to explore Martesana. The locks, control buildings and elegant villas today represent a page in Milanese history. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Alex Graves |
 Photo: AleMi |
 Photo: Filippo Vaccari |
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Early 20th century residence |
28 Via Legnano Milan, Milan 20121 Italy |
Designed by Gaetano Moretti in 1903, this is an interesting example of how the International Style reached Milan in the early years of the 20th century. Built in a sober, simple style, the house consists of a ground floor in rusticated ashlar, and three other floors featuring geometric decorations in stone and graffito-work. There is a clear influence of Otto Wagner's Viennese school. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Old noble townhouse |
2 Via Daniele Manin Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 655 4977 |
The patrician townhouse, Casati Dugnani, is one of the few Milanese residences built outside the medieval walls. It was built at the end of the 17th century by the Meda family, and altered in the 18th century when it passed first to the Casati family, then to the Dugnani. In 1857, the palazzo and its vast grounds (purchased by the city council in 1854) were incorporated in the Public Gardens and became the home of the Natural History Museum, later a secondary school. It was damaged during WW2 but restored and now hosts events and a film museum. Seen from Via Manin, the façade of the palazzo is typically 17th century and rather staid. However, the retired central body of the complex and the wings are more varied and boast elegant porticoes and loggias. Inside in the upper rooms there are stuccoes and frescoes by the Venetian school, an elegant reception room surrounded by a landing, and superb frescoes painted by Tiepolo in 1731 that were commissioned by Count Giuseppe Casati. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Rationalist architecture |
2 Largo Guido Donegani Milan, Milan 20122 Italy +39 2 7252 4301 (L'ufficio Turistico) |
Commissioned to Gio Ponti between 1935 and 1938 the building soon became a symbol of rationalist Milan architecture between the two wars. In the shape of an H with a private opening onto Via Moscova on one floor is ideal for offices with its internal layout, furnishings and external aspect working together in perfect harmony. Externally, the green marble walls and the standardised iron and aluminium locks annonce the exxpressive clarity and attention to detail that can also be seen on the inside. The complex actually offers avant garde, typological solutions (mobile floors with individual work posts) as well as technological ones (controlled heating and inflateable posts) which Ponti took care of paying great attention to detail. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Gio Ponti's masterwork |
5 Piazza Duca d'Aosta Milan, Milan 20124 Italy |
This skyscraper has been the home of the Regione Lombardia since 1978. It was built between 1955 and 1960 on the old Pirelli site which was bombed in 1943, in order to house the new headquarters of the Milan based organisation. It was designed by Gio Ponti with the collaboration of Pier Luigi Nervi. It is 127m tall and is still the tallest building in the city and the most prestigious post-war work of architecture. Using a similar scheme to the comtemporary Torre velasca by the BBPR studio, Ponti combines an innovative rectangular design with sides tapering up to the narrower extremities. The building grows around a hidden core covered in reinforced concrete. The tapered style and the pointed elements which are at odds with the finished appearance of the building surface make the skyscraper a unique example of architectural lightness, dynamism and extraordinary resolution of the relationship between structures and technology. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Alessandro Di Gangi |
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Sombre stonework |
24 Via Solferino Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 7252 4301 (L'ufficio Turisfico) |
This design by S.G. Locati, 1889-1890, is rather unusual for residential buildings in Milan, which generally have compact façades facing the street and larger inside courtyards. This design in fact, has two structures of different heights linked by a narrow, one-floor building which has a roofed loggia on top which leads into a garden. The two main buildings are separated for two different uses, one was used as living quarters and the other as a private studio. The sober architecture is in a 16th-century style, while the façades are completely covered in stone. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Franciscan church |
2 Piazza Sant' Angelo Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 2900 3401 |
Built in 1552 commissioned by the order of the Minor Franciscans in place of the fifteent-century building, this church has one main hall, flanked by lateral chapels. The old convent complex is huge and is the seat of fundamental importance for the order, built at the time of the abolitions and completely rebuilt betweenn 1940 and 1945 by the architect Giovanni Muzio. The pictorial decoration of the lateral naves is of great importance. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Place of Catholic worship |
1 Largo Frà Paolo Bellintani Milan, Milan 20124 Italy |
On the right of Viale Tunisia on the side of Bellintani is this work by Carlo Borromeo. It was built on the ancient temple of S. Maria della Sanità from 1558-92 and is part of the Lazaretto complex. The design planned a wide courtyard to link the rooms of the ill along the perimeter of the aquare. A sophisticated system of canals guaranteed hygiene and cleanliness for the local places, minimising the risk of contagion. The complex also had an open chapel in the centre of the courtyard visible from all the cells, requested by Ludovico il Moro and designed by Lazzaro Palazzi (1488-1513). The current church is an octagonal shape and is stonebuilt. A small fragment of the cell's portico is still visible along Via S. Gregorio. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Char Aznable |
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Originally designed |
116 Corso Garibaldi Giuseppe Milan, Milan 20121 Italy +39 2 65 4855 |
This interesting double building, is traditionally linked to the love story between Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti. Seat of the Augustinian order, the complex was built from a complicated series of events. A first chapel was dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino and modernised in a gothic style according to the will of Francesco Sforza in 1451 (now right nave) and was accompanied by a second building (left nave) similar to the first chapel. The two buildings were linked in 1484 which has led to an original double church shape. The plan, attributed to Guiniforte Solari, is a typical example of late gothic, lombard style. On the right there are polygonal chapels with a clear Solari influence. The interior has been recently restored. The convent is the most important centre of Augustinian culture in Milan. The library building still stands and is undergoing restoration as it is one of the best examples of this kind of 15th century work. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Oriental gateway |
Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan Milan, Milan 20129 Italy |
Once known as Porta Orientale, the Eastern Gate, in the Spanish city walls, these two buildings were made to a design by Rodolfo Vantini from 1827 to 1828, following a competition launched to replace Piermarini's work that had been left unfinished. The square-plan buildings have loggias on three sides. The design testifies to the transformation, which had already begun with Piermarini's design (1787-1789), of the fortified gates into administrative buildings. Facing the direction of Vienna, the monument would later lose significance when Napoleon took command and built the Arch of Peace. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |