We caught an early train from Genoa to Milan. Our hotel in Milan was a 6 minute cab ride from the train station. We couldn’t check in until 2:00pm, so we dropped off our luggage and found a caffè to get some breakfast. After breakfast we bought hop-on-hop-off bus tickets and used those to explore the city a bit. (We were originally supposed to fly out of Milan the following night, giving us an extra full day in Genoa, but when that flight was cancelled, and our only option was an early morning flight, we decided to spend our last day in Milan rather than take an obscenely early train from Genoa to Milan.)
A few of the things we saw on the bus tour were:
- Porta Venezia – Porta Venezia (“Venice Gate”), formerly known as Porta Orientale (“Eastern Gate”), Porta Renza (“Laurence Gate”) and by other names, is one of the historical gates of the city of Milan. In its present form, the gate dates back to the 19th century; nevertheless, its origins can be traced back to the medieval and even the Roman walls of the city. The name Porta Venezia is commonly used to refer both to the gate proper and to the surrounding district.
- The Natural History Museum – The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum) is the oldest civic museum in Milan, established in 1838 when naturalist Giuseppe de Cristoforis donated his collections to the city.
- Ruins of San Giovanni in Conca – San Giovanni in Conca ruins include the only extant example of Romanesque crypt in Milan. It houses archaeological findings which illustrates the church’s history. Over the crypt are remains of the apse walls, with a single window and blind arches typical of the Milanese Romanesque.
- Sforza Castle – The Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) is a medieval fortification located originally built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Extensively rebuilt by Luca Beltrami in 1891–1905, it now houses several of the city’s museums and art collections.
- Giureconsulti Palace – The Giureconsulti Palace (Palazzo dei Giureconsulti), also known as Palazzo Affari ai Giureconsulti or simply Palazzo Affari, is a 16th-century building located in Piazza Mercanti, former city centre in the Middle Ages.
The Last Supper Will Have To Wait Until Next Time
We tried to see The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie church. We figured there’d be a long line, but we had time to kill, so no big deal. We were very wrong. All tickets were sold out through the end of July! So, if you are visiting Milan and want to see The Last Supper, buy your tickets online well in advance.
Instead, we checked out the incredible Milan Duomo (from the outside – we didn’t tour the inside), as well as the insane Galleria that’s next to the Duomo. You’ve probably seen pictures of the Galleria. Although the shops are insanely expensive, it’s fun to walk through the Galleria anyway. After a quick snack, we headed back to the hotel to check in, shower, and rest a bit.
Opera at La Scala
We made a reservation at Obicà Mozzarella Bar for dinner, which was excellent. Teresa had tortellini and I had trofie pesto pasta. We had affogato and a digestif (Fernet-Branca), then headed to Teatro alla Scala for the Rusalka Opera. It was incredible. The opera house is one of the premier opera houses in the world, and we could see why. The venue itself is beautiful. Our seats, because they were last minute, were at the very top, but they were fine. The very far right corner of the stage was partially obstructed by a lighting rig, but it was minor. The set design for Rusalka was amazing. They even had a lake with real water. The costumes were also world class. The story was very similar to The Little Mermaid, but far less Disney-fied. It was truly a tragic story.
We got a nightcap at our hotel (The Doria Grand Hotel) before crashing, as we were getting up early for our return home.
The Next Day – Heading Home
Time to head home! We were up early to catch the Trenord M1/M2 express to MXP (Milan Malpensa) airport, which is an hour outside the city proper. Once at MXP, things got dicey. In true Air France fashion, they opened the service counter an hour later than normal. The lines were insanely long, so by the time we checked our luggage, we barely had enough time to get to our gate. Luckily, by the time we reached the gate, our flight had been delayed by 90 minutes. At least the connection in Paris was uneventful and easy this time around.
Additional Miscellaneous Photos from Around Milan
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