Milan Dining and Entertainment

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Milan

Dining in Milan

At first sight Milan would seem to be a city which has little to offer a visitor, apart from legendary streets on which to shop and famous international exhibitions and shows (the catwalk shows and large trade fairs such as Smau or Bit). For twenty years Milan has been a city which comes alive around midnight, with places such as the famous Navigli, Porta Romana (one of the newest locations for nightlife), or the 'Golden triangle' of Brera-Garibaldi-Isola.

Although Milan may not be the most inviting city in Italy to go for a drink or to have dinner; it doesn't have Romes beautiful climate, Naples' renowned cooking background with its trademarks such as pizza or spaghetti, or the pictoresque alleys full of tables under the moon that you will find in Venice and Florence. Nonetheless, if you know its well kept secrets, Milan offers an amazing amount of excellent restaurants and cosy, sophisticated cafès, far better than ones in other Italian cities.

This is partly due to the fact that in the fifties, many people came here from other regions, to escape unemployment in their cities; some of them decided to open simple "trattorias" (traditional Italian restaurants), offering their typical cuisine, which was mainly Tuscan and Southern Italian in origin. A number of these restaurants grew in quality over the years, trasforming themselves into excellent and often, outstanding restaurants.

In the eighties and nineties, a new wave of immigration brought thousands of people from the Third World, this saw the growth of the best ethnic restaurant network particular in Italy and possibly in the rest of Europe (apart from Paris). In Milan you will find restaurants serving flavours from almost every country: from Sri Lanka to Brazil, from Korea to Senegal, and in the last couple of years a Japanese food invasion rocked the city, who knows what new food sensation the millenium will bring?

G.Adamo

Entertainment in Milan

Art & Culture

Milan is certainly not the capital of art; it substituted this position in the name of fashion, but, nonetheless, it still has many fine places dedicated to culture and art.

In addition to the more famous names, such as the Brera Art Gallery and the Cenacolo Museum, there are also many places, which host temporary exhibitions and displays, where there were once factories and offices of industrial Milan.

Museums

There are many museums in Milan, spread out all over the city. This guide is limited to describing the museums that should be prioritised by visitors who are only staying in Milan for a short time.

Although it is not really a museum as it only contains two paintings, the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is unmissable even for those who would not normally enjoy cultural visits. It is located in the Museum of Cenacolo, , next to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the old convent refectory. More of a mural painting than a fresco, its conservation has always been problematic. It has just undergone a long restoration, which has given new life to its colours.

One of the first museums to visit is the Museum of Science and Technology, which is perhaps the most representative museum of the industrial and productive vocation of Milan. Found in the old, San Vittore monastery at 21, Via San Vittore, it can be reached by metro. Divided into twenty-eight sections, it is dedicated to engineering, physics, telecommunications and astronomy; most of the exhibitions include prototypes of engines, radios and ships. The Leonardo gallery is a whole section devoted to the da Vinci genius, and displays designs and models of his machines. Paintings from the history of Italian art are displayed throughout the museum next to the technical works. You will need a minimum of two hours to explore the museum. As well as the Museum of Science and Technology, the monastery is also home to the Civic Educational Naval Museum, dedicated to ship building.

A few hundred metres away, in front of the entrance to the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, is the Museum of the Pusterla, Permanent Criminal and Ancient Arms Exhibition. Arms, armour and various ancient torture instruments are on display here. Along Via Carducci, towards the centre of town, one finds the Civic Archeological Museum, at 15 Corso Magenta. This museum boasts archaeological finds from the Greek, Roman and Etruscan eras as well as prehistoric times.

Crossing Via San Giovanni, one arrives at the Sforzesco Castle, which is the home of the Civic Ancient and Applied Art Collections and the Civic Archaeological and Numismatic Collections. The collections are interesting, but time consuming, so if you only have time for a few exhibits, don't miss out on the Pieta Rondanini by Michelangelo and the Civic Arms Collection, both in the Sculpture Collection and the Egyptian and Prehistoric Sections in the Numismatic Collections. After the castle, one can continue on to the Triennale, which has a permanent contemporary design section, which covers fashion from the post-war period up until today.

In the heart of the centre, are five museums arranged in a circuit called 'the Museums of the Centre'. These are the Museum of the Risorgimento (Revival period), the Museum of Milan, the Museum of Contemporary History, the Museo Manzoniano (the Manzoni house), and the Theatrical Museum at the Scala. The first three museums tell the story of the Revival period in Milan (early 19th century to eventual unification in 1871), while the Manzoni House was where the famous Italian writer lived for a large part of his life. Spend a bit of time in the Scala Museum, next to the theatre, which offers musical instruments, portraits, set designs, costumes, masks and a library with over 90,000 volumes.

Also in the centre, but not part of this circuit, are the Poldi Pezzoli Museum and the Bagatti Valsecchi Palace, both private homes which have been turned into museums, as authentic witnesses of Milanese history. Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi displays the collections gathered together in the last century by the family, representative of 16th century life, including, paintings, weapons, textiles and furnishings. The Poldi Pezzoli Museum exhibits paintings, some of which are very important, as well as weapons, carpets, textiles and porcelain, collected by Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, who lived in Milan in the 19th century.

There are two museums in Piazza Duomo in which it is worth spending some time; the Cathedral Museum and the Civic Museum of Contemporary Art. The Cathedral, or Duomo Museum mostly displays tapestries, stained glass, vestments and historic sediment of the Cathedral building. The Civic Museum of Contemporary Arts exhibits have mostly been donated and include an excellent contemporary Italian art section with works by Boccioni, De Chirico, Sironi, Morandi as well as other artists.

The Ambrosiana art gallery, near Piazza Cordusio, is also in the centre and has recently reopened. First opened in the 17th century by Cardinal Federigo Borromeo, it possesses many works by the Venetian, Lombard and Flemish schools.

On the other side of the centre, towards Porta Venezia, are the Modern Art Gallery, the Contemporary Art Centre and the Civic Museum of Natural History. The Modern Art Gallery mostly displays 19th century Lombard works, whilst the Contemporary Art Centre, or PAC, as it is often called, built in the post-war period to a design by Ignazio Gardella, hosts temporary art exhibitions. The Civic Museum of Natural Historyshows various phases of animal life and the history of the earths crust. Next door is the Planetarium from which one can watch the stars, by appointment only.

Moving towards the Brera area, one can visit the Accademia with the famous Pinacoteca (art gallery). Two hours are not really enough for even a superficial visit, as there are 30 rooms here with paintings from all periods of art. Don't miss Raffaellos 'Wedding of the Virgin', 'Dead Christ' by Mantegna and the 'Madonna and the Saints' of Piero della Francesca.

Its not a conventional museum, but the Monumental Cemetery definitely deserves a visit. It is slightly out of the way in Via Garibaldi, beyond the station. Many illustrious Milanese are buried in tombs here; it is a sort of pantheon of the city of Milan, and is extremely interesting both for its architecture and the materials used in the buildings and tombs. One can spend a whole day here.

Theatre & Cinema

Theatre

One can't fail to mention the Scala, when discussing theatre, as it is one of the world symbols of this art. Moreover, this is not the only theatre that Milan has to offer. There is a long theatrical season here, offering hundreds of shows. As well as the Scala, where the most important and greatest works in the world are staged, and which also offers magnificent classical music concerts, there are many other big and small theatres in Milan which offer modern, classical, avant-garde and traditional plays. Amongst the main theatres is the Filodrammatici Theatre, near the Scala, as well as the Piccolo, founded by Strehler, the S. Babila Theatre, which is great for lovers of traditional theatre, the Franco Parenti, which has devoted its recent seasons to European culture, and the Litta which is offering a classic season in 1999.

Milan has recently rediscovered its passion for the ballet and for musicals such as Singing in the Rain, Blues Brothers and the eternal Rocky Horror Show. Many of these are staged at the Nazionale and Smeraldo theatres.

Cinema

Gone are the years of empty cinemas, nowadays, even though there are many more cinemas its not always easy to find a seat. Almost all of the cinemas in the centre are multi-screen with a large selection of films. However, it can be very difficult to find a parking space in the centre and many multi-screens have also been built on the outskirts of Milan such as the Plinius, the Ducale and the Gloria. The constant search for something new has led to the building of Melzo, in the Milanese hinterland, which shows the most spectacular films of excellent quality. Many cinemas also show foreign language and experimental films.

Music

Classical

Thanks to the Scalaseason, which is also the home of the most important lyric and symphonic group in Italy and holds symphonic and chamber concerts, classical music is not completely neglected in Milan. On the contrary, there are many extremely pleasant places to hear classical music. There is the Conservatorio located in an old 18th century convent in the city centre, as well as the Palazzina Liberty, recently renovated and the Chiostro in Via Molino delle Armi with regular lyric concerts on Sundays. The many orchestras based in Milan play every night in different places.

Jazz-Blues

There are many places to listen to this fascinating, stupendous music, from the Capolinea where all the jazz legends played including Chet Baker, to the Scimmie, which plays more modern jazz. In Milan, there are places to go every night of the week to hear be-pop, fusion, Dixieland and New Orleans as well as underground and emerging groups.

Rock and Pop

Milan is still waiting to host a huge concert in S. Siro stadium, but at the moment has to content itself with the many other places it has on offer to hear live music. It has a range of venues starting from large ones, which often welcome famous stars, such as Palvobis and the Assago Forum which have hosted the mythical Rolling Stone and the younger Container. Some large discotheques, such as Magazzini Generali and Propaganda reserve some evenings every week for live music.

Milan by Night

As the world capital of haute-couture, Milan not only attracts the best stylists and latest models but has also created a new lively, dynamic atmosphere in which you can have fun at any time of the day or night. Every evening is different from the next, characterised by a different bar or disco. The soul of the city is its exuberant citizens who give life to tens of bars, and can make or break them by reputation.

The most crowded and trendiest areas are the Brera, Ticinese and Navigli districts. Most of the fashionable bars are in Ticinese. Aperitifs and dinner are served at all kinds of places from the classic Flying Circus, to the more tropical Hora Felix or the wild Colonial as well as the trendy Shu. Navigli is a more romantic, slightly retro, but just as popular area. There are many hot, bohemian bars here, great for an evening with friends or just with a partner. Last but not least is Brera, the area which first saw the Milan scene grow and flourish. Every bar is recommended, and you can't go too wrong with any of them. Have an aperitif at Giamaica, or in the livelier Sunset Garden cafè, and eat at the always fashionable Take Away or at the extremely American Speak Easy.

There is a huge amount of choice when it comes to clubs. Be aware that Thursday is the night for Madame de Sade, Friday is the day to go to Shocking Club and Hollywood is cool at any time and any day.

Milan has a great nightlife and you will never be short of something to do or somewhere to go here. It can even withstand comparison to Paris, New York and London. Bear in mind that the most popular form of transport here is the tram, remember to buy a ticket as the inspectors are extremely strict!!!

Translated by T Shrank