T H E
O V E R V I E W
M I L A N
WORDS
TALIB CHOUDHRY
PHOTO
VICTORIA LING
Style capital
Fast paced, furious and ever so
chic, Milan makes for a city
break on steroids
it may be
Italy’s commercial centre and a
fashion powerhouse, but there’s always time
in Milan for a languidly sipped coffee, a
browse of the vegetable market or a heated
debate about the local football team’s latest
performance. And, alongside the food,
fashion and football, lovers of history and
culture can visit Roman ruins, courtyard
gardens and pulse-quickening art.
PAINTERLY BEAUTY
You’ll have to contend with the crowds, but it’s worth it for a
glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci’s
The Last Supper
in the Church
of Santa Maria delle Grazie (
2
Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie
),
while the Pinacoteca di Brera (
28
Via Brera
)
has works by all
the major Italian artists from the 13th to 20th centuries.
LOVINGLY PREPARED
Italians have long had a love affair with coffee,
preferring it served short, hot and strong, although
flirty baristas will serve cappuccinos topped with
heart-shaped froth to the ladies. Elegant cafés
abound around the Duomo and the Castello
Sforzesco. The panini is the city’s other snack-time
obsession. At Bar della Crocetta (
67
Corso di Porta
Romana; tel: +39 02 5454 0228
),
it is an art form,
with over a hundred tasty flavour combinations.
BARGAIN HUNT
Barter at the Fiera di Senigallia (
Via Valenza
),
the
city’s biggest flea market, every Saturday morning,
where there’s vinyl, books, retro clothes and
homewares. On the last Sunday of each month, the
Antiquariato sul Naviglio Grande (
Via Alzaia Naviglio
Grande
)
attracts hundreds of antique dealers and
stretches for 2km alongside the city’s oldest canal.
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