<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" If cities could visit shrinks, Milan would be the ideal patient. It is, without a doubt, the least superficially dazzling city in a country packed with wildly attractive towns. That alone is solid grounds for a psychological complex. What ugly ducklings lack in beauty they generally make up for with an outgoing personality, but Milan requires patient hand-holding and close attention before it will unveil its more alluring nature. Once cracked, however, this is a city that beguiles with unexpected charm and sophisticated culture. Best of all, it is sublimely situated in the north of Italy, making it perfect for resort-hopping locals and visitors alike.   1 --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt;  --&amp;amp;gt; Milan is frequently dismissed as a gray industrial city. The booming industries here, though, are fashion, design, and finance\u2014hardly ones that entail smokestacks or endless assembly lines. Milan&amp;#039;s asphalt streets are in fact gray, but they also sizzle (and sometimes melt during the searing summer months\u2014watch your stiletto heels). They&amp;#039;re lined with banks, the nation&amp;#039;s stock exchange, colorful furniture showrooms, and stores that carry the names, bathed in golden light, of its famous resident designers: Armani, Prada, Versace, Missoni, Dolce &amp;amp;amp; Gabbana, and dozens more.  These fashion titans have pumped their hometown to the max with their wares (Prada has no fewer than five shops within a one-mile radius, while Dolce has four). Armani runs five boutiques here, in addition to a block-long three-story behemoth that houses his fashion lines, a bookstore, a caf\u00E9, a nightclub, a Nobu restaurant, a bar, and, coming in 2011, a seven-story hotel with a rooftop pool. Well, why not? Fashion designers are as much a part of the Milan scenery as their stores are: Pass by Nobu at 9 P.M. and you are likely to see a pristine Giorgio Armani dining on sushi. Hit up the disco Plastic and there&amp;#039;s a good chance Stefano Gabbana will be out on the floor waving his arms with the rest of the club kids. Roberto Cavalli has a leopard-spotted restaurant, while Miuccia Prada is building a gigantic contemporary-art museum and design space. Though most people are aware that Milan is one of the four holy cities of fashion\u2014along with Paris, New York, and London\u2014many don&amp;#039;t realize its prominence in the design world. Famous architects and designers from Angelo Mangiarotti and Gae Aulenti to Piero Lissoni, Patricia Urquiola, and Fabio Novembre all call the city home. Each year in April, Milan hosts the famed Salone Internazionale del Mobile, a weeklong furniture and design fair that sees thousands of visitors with edgy haircuts and Swedish accents descending from high-speed trains, shaking the city from its slumber, and transforming it, at least temporarily, into the design mecca of Europe. &amp;quot;The city is just completely different,&amp;quot; says Rossana Orlandi, whose eponymous boutique offers a maze of rooms dedicated to art, sculpture, and design and is one of the hottest Salone spots in town. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s energized and open. It&amp;#039;s the time when you can really see all of the splendid gardens and courtyards.&amp;quot; Getting a hotel room during this busy period is about as easy as cleaning the fa\u00E7ade of the Duomo with a toothbrush would be. But visitors can reap the rewards of the city&amp;#039;s design patrimony any time. &amp;quot;Milan is like a volcano,&amp;quot; says Fabio Novembre. &amp;quot;It erupts during the Salone, but the designers are creating all year round, and there are amazing exhibits and things to do.&amp;quot; Specialized galleries that coddle talent both new and seasoned are one driving force behind the design scene. In addition to Spazio Rossana Orlandi, there are Design Gallery Milano, Tingo, and Dilmos, as well as Nilufar on Via della Spiga, where the furniture looks like (and costs as much as) art.  Of course, a tour of the big names in furniture design is required viewing for any new visitor and complements the indie fare. &amp;quot;All the major producers of furnishings are based here,&amp;quot; Novembre says. Which means central Milan is sofa and kitchen heaven, from Boffi&amp;#039;s gleaming lacquered cabinetry and sculptural bathtubs to De Padova&amp;#039;s warm minimalism. With elegant furniture at B&amp;amp;amp;B Italia, edgy designs at Cappellini, and contemporary lighting at Flos, you really will be spoiled by choices.  Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;ELLE DECOR Goes to Milan.&amp;quot;   --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; 2 --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt;  --&amp;amp;gt; But there is only so much shopping one can do. And that&amp;#039;s where the psychological digging begins.&amp;quot;So much of this city is hidden,&amp;quot; explains Matteo Marzotto, chairman of fashion label Vionnet and head of Italy&amp;#039;s tourism board, ENIT. &amp;quot;It has a very strong Italian soul to it, but it requires a bit of discovery.&amp;quot; Behind many of the gilded doors of ivy-covered palazzos lie lush gardens and arcaded courtyards fit for royalty. Some of these are privately owned, such as Palazzo Invernizzi, where the household pets are not dogs and cats but a flock of grazing pink flamingos (you can peek through the gates at Via Cappuccini 9). But others are open to the public and give a fascinating glimpse into the Milanese good life. The majestic Villa Necchi Campiglio, designed in the 1930s by Piero Portaluppi, is a must-see. Take in the stunning interiors and array of decorative arts, then sit down for lunch in the garden. That&amp;#039;s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to house museums: Others to hunt down include Museo Poldi Pezzoli, featuring the personal art, furniture, and objects of 19th-century aristocrat Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli; the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, a fabulous palazzo; and the Casa-Museo Boschi Di Stefano, with its collection of 20th-century Italian art. Nearly all visitors get giddy about the Duomo\u2014the monolithic cathedral that took a whopping 500 years to build\u2014and Leonar\u00ADdo da Vinci&amp;#039;s The Last Supper. &amp;quot;You could spend a full day inside the Duomo,&amp;quot; Marzotto says. &amp;quot;And The Last Supper alone is reason enough to come to Milan.&amp;quot; That&amp;#039;s for sure. But happily, there&amp;#039;s more hidden booty that will give you reason to stay. Sprinkled across the skyline and tucked around corners are architectural jewels produced by 20th-century talents such as Gio Ponti, Franco Albini, Giuseppe Terragni, Mario Asnago, Giovanni Muzio, and BBPR. Take yourself on a tour of architecture from the 1930s to the &amp;#039;60s: Start with Torre Velasca in Piazza Velasca, hit the Chiesa San Francesco d&amp;#039;Assisi al Fopponino, and finally head to the very top of Torre Branca, in the midst of Parco Sempione. Next door is the Triennale Design Museum, which has consistently great shows highlighting the best in Italian innovation, and a wonderful caf\u00E9 conceived by chef Carlo Cracco. The first half of the 20th century saw prolific construction in the city, but then it slowed\u2014until about nine years ago, when the area surrounding the canals began to be colonized by fashion companies looking for large-scale showrooms and spaces for fashion shows. Since then the area known as Zona Tortona has seen a turnaround not unlike that of New York City&amp;#039;s meatpacking district. Giorgio Armani, Tod&amp;#039;s, Hogan, Diesel, Neil Barrett, Maison Martin Margiela, and Zegna have all set up shop down south within the past few years, and the area has become a hot destination. &amp;quot;A few years ago there were only old warehouses and prostitutes down here,&amp;quot; says Alessandro Sartori, creative director of Z Zegna, who works in the neighborhood. &amp;quot;Now there are new shops and restaurants popping up practically every ten feet.&amp;quot;  Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;ELLE DECOR Goes to Milan.&amp;quot;   --&amp;amp;gt;   --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; 3 --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt;  --&amp;amp;gt; It is safe to say, however, that Milan will never offer the newness, adaptability, and raw energy found in the world&amp;#039;s great metropolises. La Rinascente\u2014Milan&amp;#039;s oldest department store\u2014was neglected for decades before it received its much-needed recent face-lift. &amp;quot;No one ever imagined that store would become interesting again,&amp;quot; Rossana Orlandi remarks of the emporium&amp;#039;s surprising recent return to glory. &amp;quot;They have done a fabulous job with the design floor and the restaurant.&amp;quot;  No matter how many movers and shakers roll in and out of town, or how many sophisticated boutiques grace its streets, Milan simply cannot escape its provincialism. Even having landed the 2015 World Expo will not alter the fact that changes come slowly here and traditions are still cherished. And this, of course, is what makes it special. You will still find the same waiters, serving the exact same dishes, at your favorite restaurants from a decade\u2014or more\u2014ago. You will always get good service when you know the staff, and not because you once left a large tip. You will never see a local drinking a cappuccino after noon. You can always spot the Milanese man perfectly turned out in his tailored suit and polished brown shoes as he bicycles to work.  And thankfully, aperitivo\u2014the Italian version of happy hour\u2014will always be a revered daily ritual. Whether in the lush garden of the Bulgari Hotel, the low-lit belly of Nobu, or at any little bar in between, the Milanese love to display their mastery of the cocktail hour. It&amp;#039;s quite civil, not at all about the alcohol (a single Aperol spritz or glass of chilled Sauvignon does the trick for most locals) but the food that accompanies it. Once you&amp;#039;ve tasted the oozing mozzarella, prosciutto piadina, fluffy focaccia, and mini-plates of risotto, any future cocktail experience back home\u2014with a sad dish of peanuts or party mix\u2014will surely be ruined.  All of this adds up to a m\u00E9lange of big-city chic and small-town charm that Milan inhabitants have come to love\u2014and that will slowly seduce even skeptical visitors. &amp;quot;You&amp;#039;ve got all the high-powered executives here doing major deals, and then you have the barista who doesn&amp;#039;t know your name but knows exactly what you&amp;#039;ll have for breakfast,&amp;quot; says Sartori. &amp;quot;You don&amp;#039;t even need to order.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;You can&amp;#039;t love Milan immediately,&amp;quot; concludes Novembre. &amp;quot;You have to know it.&amp;quot; Maybe the city&amp;#039;s complex, introverted personality doesn&amp;#039;t need a doctor after all. Milan simply requires a patient lover.  Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;ELLE DECOR Goes to Milan.&amp;quot;   --&amp;amp;gt;   --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; 4 --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt;  --&amp;amp;gt;  Credit: Lena Corwin ESSENTIAL MILAN The country code is 39. Shop till you drop. Hit Via Montenapoleone and its surrounding streets for the big fashion brands, stake out the area around San Babila for major design, then take a spin through the luxe boutiques of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world&amp;#039;s oldest mall. Indulge in food therapy. Milan&amp;#039;s gastronomic shops treat olives and prosciutto like precious jewels. Try Peck (Via Spadari 9; 02-8023161), La Rinascente&amp;#039;s Food Hall (Piazza Duomo), and Eataly (Piazza 5 Giornate 1/A; 02-55192083).  Stand at the bar, please. Sitting at most caf\u00E9s will cost you quadruple the price for a coffee. Stay vertical and order the sfoglia alla mela at Cucchi (Corso Genova 1; 02-89409793). Cova is pricey, but worth it (Via Montenapoleone 8; 02-7600-5599). Sissi has Milan&amp;#039;s best brioche (Piazza Risorgimento 6; 02-7601-4664). Zucca in Galleria (Piazza del Duomo 21; 02-86464435) is nearly 150 years old, and Marchesi (Via S. Maria alla Porta 11/A; 02-876-730) is even older. Rent a city bike. Cruise the Brera area for galleries and design and antiques shops. Circle Parco Sempione, and then head to Via Tortona and Via Savona for charming caf\u00E9s (bikemi.com).  Eat ice cream once a day. It&amp;#039;s all ridiculously good, but try Chocolat (Via Boccaccio 9; 02-481-0097), with several different versions of chocolate gelato, or the Grom chain throughout the city. Hop on a fast train. You can see sparkling Lake Como in 40 minutes or be in sunny Portofino or the heart of Rome in three hours flat (trenitalia.it). WHAT TO SEE Cenacolo Vinciano, Piazza S. Maria delle Grazie, 02-928-003-62; cenacolovinciano.org: Viewing Da Vinci&amp;#039;s Last Supper takes only 15 minutes, but it will never be forgotten. Book ahead, as reservations are required.  Church of Santa Maria Annunciata in Chiesa Rossa, Via Neera 24, 02-895-00817; smacr.com: This 1932 church designed by Giovanni Muzio houses a light installation created by Dan Flavin in 1996, just before he died. Hangar Bicocca, Via Privata Chiese, 02-853-531-764; hangarbicocca.it: It&amp;#039;s north of the city, but Anselm Kiefer&amp;#039;s installation alone makes the journey to this contemporary-arts center worthwhile.  Il Duomo, Piazza del Duomo: A stunning fa\u00E7ade and interior, but don&amp;#039;t miss the view from the gargoyle-lined roof. The walk up will burn off your lunch. La Scala, Via Filodrammatici 2, 02-887-91; teatroallascala.org: Even if you can&amp;#039;t get tickets to a ballet or opera, take a tour of the opera house and its museum. Pinacoteca di Brera, Via Brera 28, 02-722-631; brera.beniculturali.it: A beloved small museum with a few standouts, including Mantegna&amp;#039;s Dead Christ and Bellini&amp;#039;s Madonna and Child.  Studio Museo Achille Castiglioni, Piazza Castello 27, 02-805-3606; achillecastiglioni.it: His studio provides remarkably intimate insights into one of Italy&amp;#039;s most beloved modern designers.  WHERE TO STAY The Bulgari Hotel, Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7/B, 02-805-805-1; bulgarihotels.com: Among the city&amp;#039;s most luxurious accommodations; even if you don&amp;#039;t stay here, come for the spa, the brunch, or the aperitivo.  Four Seasons Hotel Milano, Via Ges\u00F9 6/8, 02-770-88; fourseasons.com/milan: Originally a 15th-century convent, it is lovely, of course, with 118 guest rooms and suites, and is right in the center of things.  Grand Hotel et de Milan, Via Manzoni 29, 02-723-141; grandhoteletdemilan.it: Grand but not at all pompous. The rooms are spacious; its location is ideal. Hotel Principe di Savoia, Piazza della Repubblica 17, 02-623-01; hotelprincipedisavoia.com: Justly renowned, and a favorite of fashion editors, but regular folks will also like the revamped rooms, gym, and gilded indoor pool.  Maison Moschino, Viale Monte Grappa 12, 02-290-098-58; maisonmoschino.com: All of the wit and irony of the fashion label&amp;#039;s runway shows have been poured into the 65 guest rooms of this newly opened, wonderfully wacky hotel.  Town House 31, Via Carlo Goldoni 31, 02-701-56; townhouse.it/th31: A refined boutique hotel. A bit east of the center, but its lovely garden makes up for that. WHERE TO EAT Antica Trattoria della Pesa, Viale Pasubio 10, 02-655-5741: Traditional Milanese dishes from cotoletta to osso buco con risotto, all of them outstanding. Bastianello, Via Borgogna 5, 02-76-31-70-65; bastianello.com: A traditional caf\u00E9 that has you covered in the morning (latte macchiato), afternoon (delicious frozen yogurt), and evening (a great aperitivo spread).  Bice, Via Borgospesso 12, 02-760-02572; bicemilano.it: A never-fail Milanese classic for 84 years, and still perfect for a civilized lunch.  La Cantina di Manuela, Via Poerio 3 and two other locations, 02-763-18892; lacantinadimanuela.it: Fabulously quaint wine bars. Come for aperitivo and you may eat enough to skip dinner. La Granseola, Via Tortona 20, 02-581-09381: Every item is fish-based, including the pastas. The namesake fresh crab salad is its signature dish.  Le Specialit\u00E0, Via Pietro Calvi 29, 02-738-8235; ristorantelespecialita.com: The room&amp;#039;s not great, but the pizzas are fantastic\u2014try the focaccia di Recco. Luini, Via S. Radegonda 16, 02-864-61917; luini.it: Don&amp;#039;t leave Milan without trying panzerotto, a kind of pocket pizza.  Princi, Via Speronari 6, 02-874-797; princi.it: Truly scrumptious bread, pizza, and focaccia by the slice in a sleek setting designed by Claudio Silvestrin. Tano Passami l&amp;#039;Olio, Via Villoresi 16, 02-839-4139; tanopassamilolio.it: Understated but grand, known for its spectacular presentation and inventive olive-oil pairings with every dish. WHERE TO SHOP 10 Corso Como, Corso Como 10, 02-290-02674; 10corsocomo.com: The queen mother of chic multibrand stores, with an art gallery, bookshop, caf\u00E9, and top-notch fashion.  Azucena, Via della Passione 8, 02-798-527; azucena.it: High-style Italian furniture, lighting, and hardware, crafted by a Milanese firm founded in 1947. G. Lorenzi, Via Montenapoleone 9, 02-760-22848; lorenzi.it: From horn accessories to shaving gear, this is a discerning gift giver&amp;#039;s paradise. L&amp;#039;oro dei Farlocchi, Via Madonnina 5, 02-860-589: Luxe knickknacks and unusual and refined tabletop items. Marni outlet, Via Filippo Tajani 1, 02-710-40332: It&amp;#039;s not convenient, but well worth the hike if you haven&amp;#039;t emptied your wallet on Via Montenapoleone. Spazio 900, Viale Campania 51, 02-701-25737; spazio900.net: A dazzling assortment of midcentury furniture, especially strong in lighting and seating.  Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Via Matteo Bandello 14/16, 02-467-447-1; rossanaorlandi.com: A design, fashion, and art lover&amp;#039;s mecca; a maze of rooms featuring exhibitions, furniture, and tabletop items\u2014and even a restaurant. Understate, Via Varese 20, 02-626-90435; understate.it: Paolo Cesana and Raimondo Garau&amp;#039;s array of midcentury treasures, plus a modern design shop full of pieces by well-known names. Wait and See, Via S. Marta 14, 02-72-08-01-95; waitandsee.it: Milan&amp;#039;s best new store, with cool underground fashion labels and design objects, all priced under 1,000 euros.  Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;ELLE DECOR Goes to Milan.&amp;quot;   --&amp;amp;gt;   --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; --&amp;amp;gt; 5  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/travel/a1483/elle-decor-goes-to-milan-66551/>