Cheap Tickets to Milan
Milan , is both a financial hub and a design mecca. It’s a beautiful city of contrasts where new meets old. Milan, or Milano, is the capital of Lombardy and the 2nd biggest city in Italy after Rome.
Interesting facts about Milan
The Milan Cathedral , also known as the Duomo di Milano, is a massive church located on Piazza del Duomo, the main square in Milan.
It’s the 3rd largest catholic church in Europe, with an interior size of 11,700 m² (125,937 square miles), after the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican and the Seville Cathedral in Spain. It’s also the biggest in Italy, and the 5th biggest in the world.
The construction of the Milan Cathedral took 579 years. Construction began in 1386 and the last details of the cathedral were completed in 1965.
One of the most interesting facts about Milan Cathedral is about the statues: there is a huge amount of statues at the Duomo di Milano. In total, there are 3,400 statues and 700 figures.
The Pirelli Tower is the first skyscraper built in Italy. The Pirelli Tower is a 127m tower in Milan (417 feet). At the time it was built, it was the highest building in Italy and the first building to be highest than the Milan Cathedral.
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping mall in Italy still in activity. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a big shopping mall in Milan, in the center of the city. It was built in 1877 and to this day it’s the oldest active shopping mall in all of Italy. It’s also a marvel of architecture and one of the most photographed locations in the city.
4. When the second wave of the pandemic hit Europe, Milan suffered really hard. The Italian Plague of 1629-1631 is also known as the Great Plague of Milan. The city lost 46% of its population, with 60,000 death out of a total population of 130,000.
5. Most of the inventions from Leonardo da Vinci are stored in the National Museum of Science and Technology which is a major museum in Milan and it was opened in 1953. The interesting fact is that this museum hosts the largest permanent exhibition in the world dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.
6. While Opera was born in Florence , Milan is also one of the leading Opera cities in the world. This comes mainly from its opera house, the Teatro alla Scala, or La Scala. Many of the best singers in the world have performed in La Scala, or even premiered there.
The opera house was built in 1778 and renovated in 2002. The renovation works lasted 2 years and ended up costing a staggering 61,000,000€ (61 million euros).
7. The famous painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The painting is actually on the wall of the Church’s refectory, and it’s massive: 4m60 by 8m80 (15 by 29 feet).
The Last Supper is probably one of the most famous paintings in the world, along with the Mona Lisa and they were both made by Leonardo da Vinci.
8. Just like Venice, Milan has canals. The Milan canals are known as the Navigli, a system of 5 canals connecting different neighborhoods.
In recent years, trains & trams developed heavily and the canals were slowly abandoned. Today the canals in Milan are barely used, but you can still go on a boat tour on the canals.
9. Milan is one of the Fashion Capital of the World. Historically, Milan has been considered as the Fashion Capital of the World since the 16th century. Nowadays, there are several other cities in this position (New-York, Paris and London),but Milan always remains one of the best.
There are several reasons for this, among which the Quadrilatero d’Oro with a high concentration of the best luxury fashion boutiques & workshops, or the Milan Fashion Week one of the key fashion events in the world. The Lombardian capital is home to a Fashion district, one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world and vogue powerhouses like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada and Versace.
10. Milan is home to the biggest football stadium in Italy. Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, more popular as San Siro Stadium, is the largest Italian arena and one of the biggest in Europe. The stadium has a capacity of 80,000 people. Curiously, it’s home to not one but two of the most prominent football clubs in Europe: AC Milan and Inter Milan.
11. The Lombardian capital has one of the oldest and best-designed tram systems in Europe. The first trams in the city were introduced in 1881 and were horse-driven. Nowadays, Milan boasts 17 urban and one intercity line. The total length of the tracks is approximately 181.8 km. Hop on the wooden trams on Line 1, Line 2, or Line 3. They dissect the historic center and are a unique and affordable way to explore the main attractions.
12. Milan has the greatest number of foreigners in Italy. Milan’s city proper population is 1.4 million, out of which 19% are foreign-born. This has earned Milan the moniker “The City of Foreigners”. Another curious fact about the Italian city is that it has the largest Filipino population in Europe. Over 41.000 Filipinos live in Milan. The city is also home to a strong Chinese community.
13. Some of the best museums in Milan occupy gorgeous palaces. The list of museums and galleries is endless. Many spots occupy majestic palaces and townhouses. By visiting them, you’ll not only explore their architecture but you will also get lost in timeless art. We recommend checking out the fantastic Pinacoteca di Brera, the royal Palazzo Reale di Milano, the grand Palazzo Marino and the gracious Poldi Pezzoli Museum.
14. The Milanese library holds one of the most valuable collections on the planet. Biblioteca Ambrosiana was founded in 1609. It carries the name of St. Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan. The historic library is an incredible treasure trove. It keeps hundreds of priceless ancient manuscripts, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, as well as paintings by Caravaggio, Botticelli, Raffaello and Titian.
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