72 Hours In Milan, Italy
Ah, Milan! From the delicious food and well-dressed, polished, and groomed guys citizens to the incredible history behind every monument, needless to say, this city looks picture-perfect from every angle. During my 72 hours, I discovered their passion for dancing goes beyond the ballu tundu, calabrian tarantella, monferrina, and other Italian folkloric dances. However, they love to dance Latin music as well, and they’re very talented at that. I was delighted with all the beautiful friends I made and their manners. Their appreciation for the sublime art created by the greatest made this trip all that more memorable. Here are a few things you can do if you have 72 hours to spare in Milan.
Places to Visit:
Duomo di Milano
This Gothic-style cathedral is marvelous and a must-see. Covering around 12,000 square meters, the Duomo has 135 needles and over 3,300 statues, including gargoyles, and it can accommodate 40,000 people inside. Its construction took over 6 centuries, starting in 1386 when archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo and Lord Visconti invited around 78 architects to work on the structure. Politics and lack of funding caused delays until early 1800 when Napoleon’s desire to be crown king in the Duomo’s facade got the ball rolling. While in Bonaparte’s “Game of Thrones” life edition, he offered to pay for all expenses with good-old French argent, and 7 years later, the construction was finished.
Fun fact: Did you know that Prada was born as a luggage shop called Fratelli Prad?
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The uniquely built cross-shaped mall was named after the first king of Italy, King Vittorio Emanuele II. This pragmatic and elegant marble-made architecture is four stories tall, and to maintain its appearance, all establishments must have their name brand displayed in golden letters and on a black background. In 1877, during the inauguration day, its very own architect, Giuseppe Mengoni, died; it is said that he fell while adding last-minute touches, but his death remains a mystery.
Brera District
You’ll want to stroll down this district, whether day or night, from the bricked streets and the colorful wall-to-wall buildings to the buzzing sound of people eating at some Milanese cuisine and seafood restaurants. If the exquisite smells don’t compel you to stop for a quick bite, perhaps the art academies and galleries will do the trick for small retail therapy. Its flowerful balcony decor will make you picture Romeo throwing pebbles at Juliet’s window. No video or photo has done justice to this district’s bohemian atmosphere.
Santa Maria delle Grazie
Don’t let its outside exterior appearance fool you. This is one of those Churches that may look somewhat ordinary from the outside, but inside resides Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper mural and Giovanni Donato da Montorfano’s Crucifixion mural. Inside, you can find 7 different chapels containing different host sculptures and delightful frescoes. The story of this monument doesn’t stop there either; in 1943, during World War II, allied planes bombarded the church and convent, damaging a significant portion of the refectory. All these facts and more earned the Santa Maria Delle Grazie church a spot on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites and made it one of the most studied architectures in the world today.
Dishes to try:
Risotto alla Milanese—There are many variations of this dish. It’s a saucy rice mixture, and you can find it almost anywhere, but I recommend you stop by Piscinin Ristopub.
Pizza – Yes, I know I’m a living cliche, and it’s not Milan’s most traditional dish, but their Italian style made me go for it. I had the spinach pizza, and it was mouth-watering.
Tortelli di magro burro e salvia – I had the chance to have this one in Biffi restaurant inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Honorable mention:
Together or separately, Gorgonzola (veined Italian blue cheese) and mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) are good pick-me-ups while walking around 6-7 p.m. before happy hour starts.
Gelato is a sweet frozen dessert you’ll enjoy having during the summer or when you want something to cool you off.
In just 72 hours, Milan left a remarkable mark on my heart. The astonishing monuments, the food, the impeccable Brera district’s streets, and the history behind the city alone made me feel like I was traveling to the whirlpool galaxy. Like the galaxy, Milan is constantly undergoing vast bursts of star birth, starting with their talented street artists and continuing with their amazing performance at the Scala Theater. I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not trying to oversell it to you. I fell so hard for Milan because no city I’ve discovered so far has had as much history, beauty, and warmth in 70.18 mi². Thus, if you have 72 hours to spare, I recommend you visit this majestic city.
