Address: Via Pecorari, 2

The bell tower of San Gottardo is a work by Francesco Pecorari da Cremona and dates back to around 1336.

The belfry is an areal room encircled by 24 double columns to sustain a high cone dominated by a bronze statue of San Michele. The belfry is described as “the wonderful clock” thanks to its special mechanism that strokes the hours according to the Italic system: the first toll at sunset, with a total of 24 tolls at the end of the day.

Source: Milano passo a passo, Hoepli, Decapoa, Collarin, Scilipoti.

Address: Piazza Missori at the corner of Via Albricci

Piazza Missori maintains an interesting fragment of Medieval History. Good-humouredly called by the Milanese inhabitants “decayed tooth”, meaning what remains of the abse of San Giovanni church.

The story of this place is linked to Bernabò Visconti, who was the master of the city together with his brother Galeazzo II. Bernabò had a passion for dogs. In fact his castle was named Cà dei Can (Dogs’ House). Rumour has it that he particularly loved mastiffs and that he owned more than 5,000; he wanted the population to take care of them and he used to punish those who failed to feed the animals properly.

Information extracted from: Milano passo a passo, Hoepli, Decapoa, Collarin, Scilipoti.

Address: Corso di Porta Romana, 3

Leaving the shop on your left, you just need to walk a few steps to discover a piece of Milan history: in Corso di Porta Romana, 3 you’ll be able to admire Palazzo Acerbi, a building from the 17^th century which belonged to the Milanese senator Ludovico Acerbi. If you look up at the shelf positioned on the right of the first balcony, you will see a cannon ball: it was shot on 20^th March 1848 during the famous 5-day insurrection in Milan - as attested by a tiny plaque placed below the ball.

Palazzo Acerbi is well-known not so much for its baroque architectural style (particularly sober and austere) as for his owner Ludovico Acerbi, a senator and marquis from Milan who, during the spreading of the Plague in Milan, used to organize several parties attended by the nobles who hadn’t left Milan. He also used to ride in a carriage about town, followed by a crowd of servants. Notwithstanding such exaggerated social life - rather outrageous for the period - neither the inhabitants nor the illustrious guests of that palace caught the plague. This fact provoked rumours that the building was inhabited by the devil himself.

Address: Piazza Missori

The building is in Piazza Missori. It is a relevant example of modern architecture in Milan.

It was built in 1931 after the project of the architect Marcello Piacentini, an emblematic figure of the architecture of the fascist period in Italy.

The specular figures on top of the gate draw inspiration from classical iconographic models and represent Providence (Providentia) and Social Welfare (Praevidentia), whereas the figures on the lateral door jambs symbolise Domus, Labor, Amor, Fides, Salus and Virtus.

Through the monumental helicoidal stairs before a pair of black marble columns embellished with a wooden figure of a young boy with cornucopia at the beginning of the balustrade of the stairs created by the Milanese designer Mario Quarti, you can access the meeting hall. Here there are 4 lunettes above the door painted on plywood.

They were carried out by the Roman artist Cipriano Efisio Oppo and represent: maternity, work, savings and old age.

Address: Piazza Sant’Alessandro

From Piazza Missori, walking down that short narrow street called Via Zebedia, you will find one of the cutest corners of Milan: Piazza Sant’Alessandro.

On your right, before an imposing staircase, the majestic facade of the Barnabas-style church Sant’Alessandro in Zebedia emerges. The reason why the church is called Sant’Alessandro in Zebedia is because it is believed that it was built on the ruins of the old prison of Zebedia, where Sant’Alessandro - according to tradition - was closed in.

Indoors you can see the splendid pulpit wonderfully decorated. Now turn around it, and guess where the preacher entered to climb up the pulpit. The access is hidden but you can spot it. Try and discover it by yourself before asking the sacristan for information!

Extracted from:  “Storia di Milano”, Alfredo Bosisio, ed. Aldo Martello, 1958.

Address: Via Speronari, 3

“...the temple of San Satiro, that I greatly love for being a very rich work of art, decorated with columns inside and outside, with double corridors and other ornaments, and accompanied by a wonderful sacristy full of statues.” Giorgio Vasari.

The building of the church was executed in the late 15th century due to the will of Gian Galeazzo Sforza and later continued by Ludovico il Moro as a part of an ambitious programme of renovation of the arts in the dukedom which involved, among other things, to recruit artists from all over Italy, for the Milanese Court. In fact, the building was planned according to the new Renaissance forms imported to the duchy from Donato Bramante. 

Address: Via Torino 30-32

“Il Centrale” is one of the oldest cinemas in Milan and the oldest still working".

Its birth dates back to the early 20th century, more precisely it was created in 1907 in name of “Cinematografo Mondial”, and can be considered the first multiplex in Italy, with two small halls that today contains 120 and 90 places respectively.

The “Mondial” finds its collocation in the so-called “casa de’ Grifi” which was built in 1480 by the ducal archiater Ambrogio Grifi. One of the halls is a vault, the old Hall of Honor with capitals with the effigy of the griffon, the coat of arms of the Grifi House; it has a wonderful rose window which was probably part of the family chapel overlooking the yard.

The name Mondial in 1942 was modified into “Centrale”, a name that exists still today.

The initial tickets cost 20 cents of lire for the front rows and 10 cents for the second rows, non-commissioned soldiers and children…half-price. The shows were from 14:00 to 23:00,  with short films.

Address: Piazza Diaz

In 1958 the Torre Martini (Martini Tower) was built. It is a modern, 64m high construction.

During the rebuilding of Piazza Diaz a question arose: how to close the background, being this a key position perfectly in line with the arch of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Torre Martini represents a historical location, symbol of the customs and tradition of Milan. In fact, it has hosted legendary celebrities of Italian cinema, like Federico Fellini who presented his Dolce vita in 1960, thus inaugurating an epoch of cinema meetings during which you could watch preview films or participate in live debates with reviewers and directors.

Address: Via Bagnera - Piazza Mentana - Via Torino

The narrowest street in Milan hides a dramatic past story.

It is the narrowest and most “criminal” in Milan. It is such a small and gloomy lane that it has been chosen to be the perfect location for crime stories - real events or fictitious novels - or cinema sets.

“The monster” of Milan, the first Italian serial killer has acted here. His name was Antonio Boggia (Urio, Como, 23rd December 1799 - Milan, 8th April 1862) and the noir literature defines him as the first Italian serial killer.

Boggia started to murder in April 1849; his first victim was Angelo Ribbone who was robbed of 1,400 kreuzer, “the corpse was then dismembered and hidden in his basement in the Stretta Bagnera”, used by Boggia as warehouse and office. 

The body of the first Italian serial killer was buried in the cemetery of Gentilino, by the bastione of Porta Lodovica (today Corso Italia), and only in 2009, from the collection market, a butcher’s ax emerged; it belonged to the Ospedale Maggiore and today is kept at the Museum of Olevano di Lomellina (Pavia).

Source of the comments: Paola Perfetti

Address: Via Bagnera - Piazza Mentana - Via Torino

Opened in 1974, the Civic Museum-Studio Francesco Messina is hosted in the old deconsecrated church of S. Sisto, near the central via Torino.

The Sicilian artist adopted by Milan wanted to have a part of his works kept here in Milan thanks to the donation done to the Municipality of Milan.

The museum, which had also been the studio of the artist for several years, showcases almost eighty sculptures (plaster models, polychrome terracottas, bronzes, waxes) and about thirty graphic works (lithographies, pastels, watercolors, drawings in pencil).

The “Portrait of a blond young man” is a subsequent elaboration of Francesco Messina's self-portrait dating back to 1934.

This venue offers exhibitions and activities linked to the world of contemporary sculpture.

Address: Via Larga

The theatre, closed since 1999, should reopen in early 2022.

On 13rd May 1554 the will of Paolo da Cannobio was published, which establishes the “Cannobian” Schools in via delle Ore, where the Teatro Lirico is now located. They used to deliver two daily readings, one of morals and another of dialectic.

For many people the Milan of the Twenties is a carefree place where charm and glamour coexisted in certain circles; yet, the majority of people was trying to recover from the trauma of the First World War.

Soon the Teatro Lirico will rise again to new life after almost twenty years of closure to the public.

The show schedule will be given to different directors according to the types of initiatives proposed: Renato Pozzetto will deal with comedy and cabaret, while J-Ax will handle pop music events for teens. 

Classical music and opera will be managed by Roberto Favaro - the former director of Brera - while Jazz concerts by Enrico Intra and dance shows by Chris Baldock.

Address: Via Paolo da Cannobio

In the building which was in Via Paolo da Cannobio 35 - later torn down during the war - there was the Milanese headquarter of the fascists of Benito Mussolini from 1919 until the end of 1921.

Called the hideout of the squadrists, the old house was kept for all the Thirties as a small museum of the fascist regime in its early years; school children used to visit it. In the yard there were the Friesian horses which were supposed to protect a door with ground glasses. Here there was the typography of Mussolini’s newspaper “Il Popolo d’Italia” (The people of Italy), while on the first floor there was Mussolini’s studio furnished with the relics of his first feats, including a hand crank telephone, hand bombs, etc; all things that were there to demonstrate that fascism would be able to defend young Italians from the danger of Communism, as teachers used to tell their pupils. 

In the neighbouring room there was the studio of his brother Armando, the administrative director of the newspaper, while in the basement there was a real armory of firearms besides batons and castor oil for punitive reprisals.