For our week break in October, my friends and I planned a trip to go to Italy! Our first stop was Milan, or as they say in Italy Milano. Once we arrived and got settled into our hotel, our first stop was for some delicious Italian food. I quickly learned what a beautiful city Milan is, and what an ancient and fascinating cultural history the city has.
We spent the first day exploring the city center of Milan and visiting some of the most historic and iconic locations in the city. The first stop was the Milan Cathedral, which was absolutely breathtaking. I remember walking out of the metro and looking up to see such a magnificent sight, and I don't think i'll be forgetting this moment anytime soon. The Milan Cathedral is of gothic design and it took nearly six centuries for it to be fully completed. It is the largest church in all of Italy, and the third largest in the world. It is also called the Duomo di Milano, and is was the main symbols of Milan, and Italy in general, and I completely understand why. My friends and I spent quite some time exploring the area, and looking at the Cathedral for all perspectives, as well as writing in our journals. We also got our picture taken in front of the Duomo so we could remember the moment forever.
The next stop was the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a high end shopping area, with a beautiful glass ceiling made in the 19th century. The mall was filled with top Italian brands, such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. What I found so interesting about the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is that it's the world's oldest fashion mall, and was named after Victor Emanuele II, who was the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was built from 1865 to 1877 and was quite the architectural challenge at the time.
Next, we went to the Pinacoteca di Brera, which is located in the Palazzo Brera, a population location in Milan, Italy for other cultural institutions. The Pinacoteca di Brera is a main art gallery in Milan and holds many famous Italian art collections. I had a wonderful time walking around the Palazzo Brera, and looking at the different art pieces inside the Museum itself.
I also want to talk about the exquisite cuisine, and how much it adds to the already rich culture of Milano. The saffron risotto and truffle pasta were two of the famous dishes I had dreamed about eating in Italy beforehand and it was my goal to find them and enjoy them thoroughly! Here are some lovely pictures of the food we experiences while in Milan!
All and all it was a wonderful trip to Milan, and I will definitely be returning again someday!