pals»
l“’u.
dustrial
I}... ‘5’ '5'"
ol
Milan is known as the fashion Mecca of Italy, but behind the classy faeade it’s a gritty city with a party heart, says Merle Brown.
hey stroll past the l)uomo
every night. in the hour
before dinner. It‘s called passeggiata. and the Italians are masters of it. They walk to be seen and. in Milan. they are definitely worth giving the once over. You see the men in unfeasibly crisp white shirts and immaculate suits. and the women in furs in the winter and elegantly cool outfits in the summer — even when temperatures reach the 90s. They simply slide on the ubiquitous sunglasses and stroll. There is no doubting that Milan deserves its label as the capital of cool. but this is not a tourist city. (‘heap flights from the [FK arrive there every day of the week. yet your average visitors might find
themselves like a fish out of water if
they visit the capital of the north expecting Rome. or Tuscany‘s beautiful lilorence.
Milan is a working city with over 1.2m residents. where industry comes before tourism. As you wander the city‘s streets. you will come to realise pretty quickly that the Italians — wonderful furniture designers as they are — aren‘t really
so bothered about having stylish exteriors for their homes. Many are covered in graffiti. even on some of the streets around (‘entral Station. a grand building built by Mussolini as a symbol of his liascist power and well worth a look. Most of the hotels are situated in the station area. so you won‘t be able to escape some of the bleaker streets. but don't let that put you off. (‘hip away at the gritty facade. and you will unearth a city of treasures: great restaurants. trendy bars. supercool nightclubs.
For culture vultures. the l)uomo cathedral is the third largest ('hristian church in the world and is incredibly beautiful. ()rnately carved in pink marble. it is as fabulous a symbol of a city as anyone could wish for. From there. you can walk though the ornate (ialleria Vittorio limmanuelle ll to see the original l’rada store and. sadly. one of the city"s 37 MacDonalds outlets. ()n the other side you‘ll find Teatro all Scala — not much from the outside. but the famous opera theatre is like a 'l‘ardis inside. ()ne of Milan's hidden gems
is the National Museum of Science and Technology. where it becomes obvious that Leonardo Da Vinci was far more than just an artist. (‘overing everything from information technology to engines and astronomy in its 40.000 sq metres. it holds over 100 models depicting Leonardo's designs that were constructed for the exhibition
THE MILANESE SIMPLY SLIDE ON THE UBIOUITOUS SUNGLASSES AND ST ROLL
in the fifth centenary of his birth in 1952. But if. like many Dan Brown aficionados. you want to find out whether it is Mary Magdalene beside Jesus in his iconic painting ‘The Last Supper'. make sure you've booked ahead because this is what nearly everyone visiting the city wants to see.
()ne of the most endearing things
l
Shoppi 9 is only part of the true Milan. Clockwise from left: the stunning Duomo; fashion on the
streets; park life; market stalls
about the city. and perhaps one of the most missed things in our over- Americanised culture in Britain. is the set of little rules and quirks they still adhere to. All shops are closed on Monday morning and most on Sundays as well. Of course there are supermarkets. and Rinascente. a fabulous department store at the l)uomo. but it‘s much more fun popping in and out of all the little shops that disappeared from our high streets years ago. like ironmongers. hosiery stores and pen shops. But if it's cool you want you mustn't miss 10 (‘orso Como. It's the original concept store. The seductive creation of Carla Souania. a former Vogue staffer. this is Milan's (if not the world‘s) hippest shop. There is a fabulously eclectic mix of must-haves and [- would-if—l-could-haves. as well as a courtyard cafe. a fusion-style restaurant and a gallery. You can easily spend a decadent day in this fashionista heaven.
But it is at aperitivo hour Milan’s equivalent of tapas - that the city really gets going. Cocktails are half price and the bars are laden
9—23 Jun 2005 THE LIST 113