Milan's size and looks have totally changed in the past two centuries. The old capital of a state of the Holy Roman Empire, a city surrounded by rice fields, hay fields and meadows and by a few textile mills, rapidly became first one of Italy's main industrial centers and, more recently, the capital of Italian finance and of its service sector.

It is Milan's old historical heart that has paid the price for all this economic growth. Florence, Rome, and, of course, Venice seem to have been able to preserve the look and most of the buildings of their respective golden ages. Since Milan's golden age is not yet over, Milan's center looks contemporary.

Seeing the city from above • The three rings • Piazza Duomo • Teatro alla Scala • Palazzo della Ragione • Castello Sforzesco • Santa Maria delle Grazie • Last Supper • Sant'Ambrogio • Colonne di San Lorenzo • Navigli • Brera district

Porta Venezia & Corso Buenos Ayres • Stazione Centrale, Pirelli & Centro Direzionale • Porta Garibaldi • Porta Volta & Monumentale • Sempione • Magenta • From Magenta to Porta Vigentina • Porta Romana • Porta Vittoria • Monforte

Private art collections • The City Council's art museums • Brera • Church museums • Entertainment museums • Science museums • History museums • Library & archives • Other cultural centers