What to see in Milan through a short, offbeat itinerary, away from the usual tourist circuits: 6 free-entry spots that are beautiful and original. For those who love rediscovering hidden urban gems.
Milan is beautiful, increasingly modern and European. In recent years it has become a tourist destination on a par with Italy's great art cities and even Milanese residents themselves want to rediscover it. This guide to what to see in Milan takes us to some of the city's lesser-known corners, equally beautiful, but in a different way. All free to enter.
An extremely ancient church, it was founded by Archbishop San Senatore da Settala in the years 472–475, but has been rebuilt several times in the Roman period. Federico Borromeo was baptised here in the full swing of the 1500s, yet what we see today is the result of a radical restoration carried out by architect Enrico Terzaghi, dating to 1870: a portico was added, entirely covered in enchanting mosaics – the most extraordinary feature of the basilica – inspired by the frescoes of painter Luigi Cavenaghi.
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Inside the church are preserved several precious panel paintings dating to the early sixteenth century, among them the Pentecost by Simone Peterzano (1540–1596), who was Caravaggio's master, as well as a Leonardesque fresco that today unfortunately is in a less than ideal state due to the passage of time.
The basilica is also famous for its acoustics: in the 1950s it was used as a recording studio by Maria Callas to record some of the world's most celebrated operas, including La Cavalleria Rusticana. Mina also recorded some of her famous tracks here.
Unfortunately the interior is always poorly lit, but on fine summer days the mosaics on display are truly evocative. It is located near corso Italia, right in the city centre — do not miss it.
The name is a little misleading — it looks nothing like a garden — but it is nonetheless a place worth visiting for the mural it houses. Two murals, in fact. They were created by Millo, alias Francesco Camillo Giorgino, and the work is called Lost and Found: it depicts a tangle of buildings in black and white running vertically, with two giant figures, and the only bold splash of colour is two red hearts. It is just a few square metres amid apartment blocks that are not particularly attractive, yet the whole thing seems to send a breath of optimism and positivity through the air. This project in via Morosini has helped to revive a spot in the neighbourhood that had been left to deteriorate for some years. The result, in our view, is excellent.
Another small gem, particularly suited to anyone looking for a moment of peace — perhaps to read, or simply to enjoy the magnificent view of Bramante's dome — is the Chiostrino del convento di Santa Maria delle Grazie. It is located in via Caradosso, where the entrance is, and it connects the church's tribune with the old sacristy. At the centre stands a charming fountain flanked by large sculpted frogs, and goldfish always swim inside it. In spring, the flowering plants make these few square metres perfect, idyllic. Tranquil and calm. A simple beauty that must be seen and savoured.
Between the Sormani library and the Policlinico lies this small public garden: just 12,000 square metres where you can rest, run, bring children to play, or simply read. The most enchanting feature here, besides the near-constant silence, is the fishpond at its centre: a baroque jewel, with stone balustrades and iron railings, made up of two terraces connected to each other by four flights of steps. The presence of water makes this green corner of central Milan truly delightful. The history of this place is curious: in 1555 the Countess of Guastalla purchased the land now occupied by the gardens in order to build the "Collegio della Guastalla", which housed twenty-four young girls, aged between 10 and 22, from noble families that had fallen on hard times. The purpose of the college was to provide board, lodging, education and a dowry, so that these young women would not take holy vows against their will, nor — worse still — be driven to prostitution.
Of medieval origins, it has been rebuilt several times — first after the collapse of the bell tower of the adjacent basilica, then following a fire. From the atrium you enter the ossuary chapel, which houses an unusual treasure that can astonish, impress and perhaps even frighten. The walls are almost entirely covered in skulls and bones, arranged in niches, on cornices, pillars and doorways. The remains most likely belong to those who died at the Brolo hospital, and to remains transferred from seventeenth-century cemeteries that were subsequently closed. The skulls enclosed in the small boxes above the entrance door are those of people condemned to death.
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And if this rather dark atmosphere were not enough… according to legend, on 2 November, the Day of the Dead, a little girl whose remains are kept near the ossuary altar comes back to life, dragging the other skeletons into a macabre dance.
If you enjoy seeking out unusual places, a visit to San Bernardino is a must. One tip: check the opening times carefully, or you may find yourself in the middle of an after-school session for children from the Filipino community that uses the church and the adjacent basilica.
In a very elegant part of the city, in via dei Cappuccini, you may well come across people peering through the gate of a beautiful villa with a garden. They stop to try to photograph the flamingos that live there: twelve magnificent specimens — said to have come from South America — that have been residing at Villa Invernizzi since the 1970s. This was one of the homes of industrialist Romeo Invernizzi, owner of the cheese company of the same name, and it is now the headquarters of a foundation bearing his name. The birds are often the subject of curious snapshots by passers-by, because it is certainly not an everyday occurrence to admire them in the city, amid a rose garden and magnolias.