Looking for different possibilities to make a cheaper + intercontinental trip, I found a very cheap one, involving an 8 hours’ layover in Milan, Italy. It was not a problem for me: I had to arrive very early in the morning, and my next flight was late in the evening.
Milan is a wonderful city, and despite of the fact that it was not my first time there, I always wanted to visit it again and sit in some café or pizzeria to enjoy the Italian lifestyle. So I bought the ticket and I started planning my time in Milan!
From the airport and back
Milan has 2 Airports, but I arrived and had to depart from Linate. It is a small airport, but very well connected to the city center. Just going outside one can find the bus number 73, going literally straight through most of Milan and directly arriving at the city center, after about 45 minutes. Ticket costs 1,5 Euro and it can be purchased at the red automatic machine located in front of the bus stop.
The last stop is at the street Corso Europa in the city center, and at the very same place it departs, every 10 minutes, going back to the airport. Starting from this point, I have started my 8-hours adventure!
First step: Il Duomo and Vittorio Emanuele Gallery
I have seen it before, but it is really impressive. The
Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, is amazing. It is located just 3 blocks away from the bus stop, and I was orienting myself by following the Duomo´s roof in the horizon, which can be seen from everywhere.
Also, very close to it, right in the left of the main entrance, one can find the Vittorio Emanuele galleries: A wonderful and elegant passage with luxury stores and not-that-expensive pizza restaurant. I have payed not more than 15 Euro for a good pizza and a glass of red wine, which is still OK for such a touristic city.
There is also a legend about one of the beautiful mosaics on the floor: If you find the bull, you have to step and turn on your heel on the bull's testicles, spinning around. Who does so, will have good luck. I am not sure if it works, but is fun and many people do it, based on the level of erosion that mosaics have.
Second step, Sforza Castle and Arco della Pace
From the Duomo, I walked almost straight forward, following the street Via Orefici-Via Dante, to get to the Sforza Castle. It is an amazing building.
It was built in the 14th Century for the Sforza family, one of the most powerful of Milan, and it is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. Nowadays the castle hosts several museums, like the Archaeological Museum of Milan, the Museum of Musical Instruments, and the Pinacoteca. The entrance of each one is about 6 Euro, but one can enter the castle and walk around without having to pay.
After visiting the Castello, I walked in the beautiful and green Sempione Park to the Arco della Pace. It is an arch like several others in Europe, but it is interesting because it is named after peace, and not after war, victory or conquer. At the evening, several families gather around for playing with their children, and having a café in one of the many coffeehouses and restaurants around.
Third step: Tiennale de Milano
Also at the Sempione Park is located the Triennale di Milano. It is a nice building which was built in the 30´s in the Palazzo dell'Arte. Nowadays, several exhibitions are presented every year, with emphasis in contemporary design, architecture and urban planning. There’s an entrance fee for some exhibitions, but one can see most of them for free.
The building has also a very chic cafeteria, and a wonderful gift shop, where one can make a stop between exhibitions. When I visited the Triennale di Milano, my favorite was “Senza tempo”, a picture exhibition of the Italian stylist Aldo Coppola and his cover pictures for fashion magazines.
Fourth step: The Last Supper
From the Tiennale de Milano I walked to the church Santa Maria della Grazia, a small and old monastery. If one does not know what is in there, one can perfectly walk by without having any bad conscience for not visiting it. Inside is one of the most famous paintings of all times: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci.
One should reserve a ticket with anticipation, and they are usually sold out with 3 weeks of anticipation. But the planning gives its price when one can see the painting in the wall from what back then was the supper hall of the monastery.
Fifth Step: Church of St. Mauritius
Stating my walk back to take the bus to the airport, I walked into the Church of St. Mauritius, which was built partially using old roman ruins. It was originally by the most important female convent in the city, the Monastero Maggior, and the nuns could visit the church and take part in the service, separated from the external world by a wooden wall.
The church has wonderfully painted walls and a choir atrium, with original banks on it.
And after having spent about 8 hours in visiting some of the most iconic places in Milan, and after a quick stop for the last Italian café, I walked back to Corso Italia to take the bus number 73 back to the airport, to continue my trip further on.
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