Rome might be thepolitical capital of Italy, but when it comes to fashion and business, Milanundoubtedly wears the crown; indeed it might be said to have more in commonwith New York than Naples. That said, it is still undoubtedly Italian, justwith a little more pace than other cities. When it comes to history however,there’s plenty to see and this tour starts in the Piazza Duomo, with its iconiccathedral, the fourth largest in the world. Like most great cathedrals, it wascenturies in the building and has many different styles, but the overwhelming impressionis gothic magnificence. Just across from the cathedral is the spectacularGalleria Vittorio Emanuele, an elegant 19th century shopping centreand one of the first of its kind. Built in 1865, just after Italianunification, a central mosaic celebrates all the major cities of the newlyunified Italy. The designer shops here give you a foretaste for the otherprinciple shopping streets, the Via Montenapoleone and the Via della Spiga.Your guide will then take you to Piazza della Scala, where you will see Milan’sworld famous opera house, La Scala Theatre. From here, you will wend your wayto the Via Dante which leads to Milan’s castle, the Castello Sforzesco, thepowerhouse of Milan’s ruling family in the 15th century, theSforzas. Today it houses a series of museums with fine art collections. Thehighlight of today is a visit to Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible masterpiece,The Last Supper. The importance ofbooking tickets well ahead of time must be stressed, as in order to protect thefresco, only a few visitors at a time are admitted.
