Milan's Local Area Attractions
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Our Park Hyatt Milan hotel is located overlooking the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, opened by and named for the then King of Italy. Construction on this building began in 1865, overseen by the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, and took just two years to build. Today, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II oozes elegance, with its chic boutiques and cafés. On the floor in the gallery, you will also see the coat of arms of the family of Savoy, a white cross on a red background, encircled by the symbols of the four major Italian cities: the bull of Turin, the wolf of Rome, the lily of Florence and Milan’s red cross on a white background.
La Scala
Our luxury hotel in Milan is located only five minutes’ walk from La Scala opera house, the most famous opera house in the world, built in 1776 on the site of the church of Santa Maria della Scala (hence the name). The first performance took place here in 1778. La Scala was badly bombed during the Second World War and rebuilt three years later; it has also recently undergone further restoration. The opera house can accommodate more than 2,000 people and has absolutely marvellous acoustics. The traditional opening night of the opera season is 7 December, the feast of Saint Ambrogio, patron saint of the city of Milan. Behind a classic but imposing facade is the splendid mirror-lined foyer, which was renovated in 1936. Once inside the theatre itself, the Auditorium is spectacular in red velvet with gilded stucco work. The boxes are like small living rooms, the orchestra pit is new, dating from 1907, and the stage is huge, measuring 1,200 sq m (13,000 sq ft). It is also well worth a visit to the Museo Teatrale, which opened in 1913, and houses a fine collection of sculptures, paintings, ceramics and original scores connected to the history of La Scala.
Duomo Cathedral
Our Park Hyatt Milan hotel is located in the city centre behind the famous Piazza Duomo. The Duomo cathedral is best seen in the late afternoon as the setting sun goes down over the white marble belfries, gables, pinnacles and statues. Work on this spectacular construction began in 1386 on the orders of Duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti. In the 15th and 16th centuries, work was supervised by Lombard, German and French architects and masons, and the facade was completed only between 1805 and 1809 on the orders of Napoleon. The elevator to the roof of the Duomo cathedral is on the left rear side of the church. A visit to the roof is a must to see the city’s 135 spires, 2,245 statues, a 14-foot gilded statue of the Madonna that dates back to 1774, the flying buttresses below and, on a clear day, a marvellous view of the Alpine chain. On the roof, you can also see the Golden Madonnina, a copper-plated statue on the Tiburio that is 108 m high and which, in 1769, became the symbol of Milan.
Santa Maria delle Grazie
A stay in the luxury hotel Park Hyatt Milan, located in the city centre, gives you the chance to discover the wonders of Milan without the need for transportation. The famous Santa Maria delle Grazie church is home to the world-famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, “The Last Supper”. This church was built between 1463 and 1490, and, although Ludovico Il Moro wanted to turn it into the family mausoleum, when he lost power, the Dominicans continued work on its decoration. Bombing in 1943 destroyed part of the church, but the apse and Leonardo’s “The Last Supper”, covered by sand bags, were untouched. Reservations to visit the painting today are mandatory. The church's original architectural layout, now visible only in the form of the nave and aisles, was a typical example of Late Gothic Lombard art, of which Solari was a well-known exponent. The nave and two-aisle interior, with side chapels, was in line with the traditional composition, although there are several innovative elements of clear Renaissance taste, such as the columns that replace pilasters and the pictorial decoration of the nave itself.
Castello Sforzesco
Our luxury Milan hotel is located in the city centre within 10 minutes’ walk of many cultural attractions, including the Castello Sforzesco. Originally built as a fortress by the Visconti family in 1368, this castle later became their ducal seat. The castle was partially demolished in 1447 and then, under the Sforza family, it became the site of one of the most magnificent courts in Italy. A period of decline followed until 1893 when Luca Beltrami saved the castle from demolition and turned it into a museum/cultural centre. Today, Castello Sforzesco houses the Civic Museums and the largest art collection in Milan. The Corte Ducale, to the rear of the castle on the right, houses collections of antique art, sculpture and furniture.
Palazzo Reale
Our luxury hotel in Milan, located in the city centre, is only two minutes from the Palazzo Reale, one of the most beautiful examples of 18th century Milanese architecture. The building was once the home of the Visconti and the Sforza families, and later the residence of the Spanish and Austrian governors of the city. Milan’s Palazzo Reale is worth a visit to take in the Sala delle Cariatidi, designed by architect Giuseppe Piermarini (who designed the La Scala Opera House) in 1771-1778, and to visit the Civil Museum of Contemporary Art (CIMAC), which is located on the second floor of the building.
Novecento Museum
The Novecento Museum, located in the Arengario Palace, is open to the public, and home to some 400 selected masterpieces signed by famous artists. In chronological succession, its works cover the most important artistic movements of the 20th century in Italy, including Futurism, Spatialism and Poor Art, featuring the works of such artists us Boccioni, Carrà, Soffici, de Chirico, Sironi, Martini, Morandi, Fontana, Manzoni, Kounellis and many others. This huge, suggestive exhibition is an intercultural approach to involving experts, children and tourists. The museum, which can be seen from Duomo square, is also a guide and an example for the young artists of today and tomorrow.
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
Our luxury hotel in Milan is located in the city centre, only 10 minutes’ walk from the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a gallery founded in 1618 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, an art lover. Originally housing 172 paintings, thanks to private donations the collection at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana has grown. Today, you can see “Portrait of a Musician”, a wood panel painting by Leonardo Da Vinci of Franchino Gaffurio, the court composer; “Cartoon for the School of Athens” by Raphael, which was preparation for a work that is now in the Vatican; “Basket of Fruit” by Caravaggio, dated 1594; and the recently restored “Madonna del Padiglione” by Botticelli.
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Our luxury hotel in Milan is located only seven minutes’ walk from the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, a private museum that opened to the public in 1881. The collections here include paintings, sculptures, glass, textiles, and arms and armour, mainly from the Renaissance period and the Venetian 18th century. The range of objects collected by Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli was wide enough to include enamels and jewellery from Medieval times and the Renaissance, as well as carpets, tapestries, jewels, glass and porcelain. The Salone dell’Affresco has a Tabriz carpet featuring hunting scenes in wool and silver on silk, while the next room is home to “The Coronation of the Virgin”, a 15th century hanging of Florentine embroidery based on a drawing by Botticelli. Thanks to generous bequests by private collectors, the museum's collection has been enriched through the acquisition of paintings, mechanical clocks and sundials, lace and embroideries.
Brera Pinacoteca Art Gallery
Our luxury hotel in Milan is located in the city centre just 10 minutes’ walk from the Brera Pinacoteca Art Gallery. Thanks to a constant, gradual enrichment over time, the Brera Pinacoteca Art Gallery today features a rich exhibition of artists’ portraits and self-portraits, as well as masterpieces of international fame, among them Raffaello’s “Sposalizio della Vergine”, Giovanni Bellini’s “Madonna con Bambino”, Bramantino’s “Crocifissione”, Mantegna’s “Cristo Morto” and Luini’s “Madonna del Roseto”. There are also numerous works of art by Leonardo Da Vinci and, thanks to an agreement with the Louvre, various works by Rubens, Joardens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt, which have been moved to the Brera Gallery to represent the 17th century Flemish school. Acquisitions continued until the Second World War, bringing to the Gallery famous works by Correggio, Pietro Longhi, Piazzetta, Tiepolo, Canaletto and Fattori, including the well-known “Cena in Emmaus” by Carvaggio and Silvestro Lega’s “Pergolato”. In the 1970s, the extraordinary donation by Emilio and Maria Jesi included artworks by major artists from the early 90s, including Boccioni, Braque, Carrà, De Pisis, Marino Marini, Modigliani and Morandi.
Navigli
Our luxury hotel in Milan is located in the city centre within a 10-minute taxi ride of one of the most interesting areas in Milan to visit. The history of Milan is closely connected with the system of canals that passes through the whole city and the area characterized by the Navigli is certainly one of Milan’s most picturesque. The oldest canal, Naviglio Grande, takes its water from the Ticino river. The canal was constructed between 1177 and 1257, and is about 50 km long. In the past, it was used to transport goods, particularly the blocks of marble that were used to build the Cathedral. Typical old Milan houses, old wash-houses with wooden-beamed roofs and craftsmen’s workshops remind us of times gone by. Today, you will find boutiques and the ateliers of Milanese artists, cafés, restaurants and old moored barges fitted out as bars, creating an exciting atmosphere for young Milanese people.
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