VisitaMilano

 Cassina de' Pomm
The area of Cassina de' Pomm, which means "the farmstead of the apples", is located at the end of via Melchiorre Gioia and it is the point at which the Martesana canal begins its route towards the north-east suburbs of Milan. The present-day "trattoria Martesana" replaced the ancient Cassina de' Pomm, which in past centuries was a well-known hotel, inn and resting place for travellers.

 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Corso Vittorio Emanuele is a large artery that connects Piazza Duomo with Piazza San Babila. It is a pedestrian area and there are numerous shops under its porticoes - especially clothing and accessories. It is the ideal place for shopping or window shopping. The post-war reconstruction added the Corso with a series of small galleries. About midway between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Corso Europa, the porticoes surround - 'suspended over the underground garage-silos - the seventeenth century church of San Vito al Pasquirolo. Two Neoclassic buildings dating back to the Restoration period when the street was called Corso Francesco in honor of the Austrian Emperor survive - Palazzo Tarsis and the Piazza San Carlo compound. At night, the Corso is enlivened by the city's largest concentration of movie theaters.

 Gorla
In the past there were villas and gardens along the Martesana canal in the suburb of Gorla, a district on the north-eastern outskirts of Milan. Some ancient buildings can still be seen today from the towpath. The Martesana canal was the driving force for these places, providing water to irrigate fields, enabling the transportation of goods and facilitating the growth of industries.

 Metanopoli
It's the "city of methane", designed in 1955 by Enrico Mattei for the ENI workers. The discovery of methane gas pockets, the location of the administrative Centre of Eni, and the following development of the Metanopoli quarter, radically transformed the urban and demographic aspect of San Donato, which today is increasingly characterized by skyscrapers and modern buildings that house administrative offices and the service industry. Composed of five office buildings, it was built over corn fields and turned into state-of-the-art urban structure, just as the town had envisioned.

 Piazza Castello
Located in the heart of the city, Piazza Castello is one of the most loved and visited place by tourists who come here attracted by the charm of the Sforzesco Castle, the symbol of the power of the Lords of Milan.

 Piazza Duomo
Piazza Duomo is the vitality centre of Milan. The square, dominated by the striking Gothic frontage of the Duomo, and decorated in the centre by the Equestrian Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, is surrounded by several architectures from various periods: in front of the Duomo rises Palazzo Carminati, while the North and South Porticoes are symmetrically set against the main sides of the Piazza. In particular the latter provides access to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

 Piazza Mercanti
Located just west of Piazza Duomo, a group of buildings are a splendid example of Milan's architectural development from the Medieval to the 1600's. Piazza Mercanti boasts Palazzo della Ragione (1228) Milan's most outstanding building that dates back to the era of the commune system. Across the square, there is the elegant 14th century construction Loggia degli Osii (1316): built in black and white marble, the project was commissioned by Matteo Visconti. Next to the Loggia there is the 18th century Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, designed by Carlo Buzzi and built between 1644 and 1645. At the end of the square there is the remains of Panigarola House (XV century) which used to house the Status Office. In building number 2 of via Mercanti is Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, commissioned by Pope Pious IV, Angelo Maria Medici of Milan, during the late Reinassance (1561). The tower's central clock, located between the façade of the Napo Tower, goes back to 1272, and was incorporated in 1601.

 Piazza San Babila
The imposing fountain at the centre of the Piazza was designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni. It is composed of different types of granite: black from Valtellina, pink from Baveno and white from Montorfano. The Church of San Babila, dated back to the 5th century was restored at the beginning of the last century.

 Quadrilatero della Moda
One of the most up-market areas in the world, filled with jewellers, boutiques and design and furnishing showrooms. Fashion, especially ready-to-wear, has made the Lombardy capital its home. The heart of the Quadrilatero d'Oro [Golden Square] is via Montenapoleone which according to an American survey is one of the fifteen most expensive and up-market streets in the world (together with New York's Fifth Avenue, Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris, Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, Oxford Street in London and the Pitt Street Mall in Sidney). The street's name goes back to 1804 at the height of the the Napoleonic age. At that time Milan was teeming with foreigners, who crowded the city not only for business but particularly because - as Stendahl, a lover of Milan, emphasised - it was a rich republic dedicated to art and pleasure. In via Montenapoleone, via S. Andrea, via del Gesù, via Borgospesso and via della Spiga, the best Italian and international designers offer their extraordinary creations: clothes in gorgeous fabrics, perfumes, shoes, bags and may other limited production articles expressing the various talents of the Italian designers.

 Quartiere Bicocca
The new district, designed by the studio Vittorio Gregotti Associati after an international competition, is the result of a large urban transformation which involved an area of almost 1,000,000 square meters and which was begun during the mid-80s. The Bicocca had been the symbol of the Industrial area constituted since the beginning of the 1900s between Milan and Sesto San Giovanni. Pirelli, Breda, Wagon-Lits and a little further away, in the territory of Sesto San Giovanni, Falck steelworks.

 Quartiere Isola

 The Certosa district/park
The first green lung of the District and Certosa Park, which stand on a large expanse of land of over 450,000 m2 in the North-West of Milan beside the Bovisa, is the ''Giardino dei Giochi'' or Garden of Games which was inaugurated in the autumn of 2005. The area once housed several refinery plants, and all the soil underwent environmental reclamation before the project was implemented. The park, designed by the Studio Armstrong Bell Landscape Design, will on completion cover a total of 20 hectares and it will feature a central green amphitheatre crossed by a raised rectilinear path and with plenty of water features such as canals and a small lake.

 The Maciachini area
The area of Piazzale Maciachini includes a very recent regeneration project of the historic industrial town: the place where Carlo Erba was once headquartered, with offices and workshops, is now witnessing the building of the new tertiary district over an area of 95,000 m2 of which 83,000 are intended for offices with greenery and car parks, a fitness centre, theatre and a Museum of Puppets. Part of the project has been completed and already houses the offices of important companies. The project also includes opening a road between Via Imbonati and Via Crespi as well as a cycle path.

 The Milano Oltre office complex
The Milano Oltre office complex, which is situated 5 km from the "Lambrate" interchange of the Tangenziale Est, a crucial junction to reach the motorway network, is an example of modern architecture. It features Palazzo Canova comprising 2 floors above ground level and Palazzo Raffaello, a building comprising 10 upper floors and one underground floor where the warehouses and car parking spaces are situated, whereas floors one to eight are used for office space.

 The Ravizza district
It stands on an area between Via Bazzi and Ripamonti, where the impressive plants of the Officine Meccaniche (OM) and of Iveco, manufacturers of industrial vehicles used to be housed. The Ravizza district, which is almost complete, is distinguished by two elegant towers designed by the architect Massimiliano Fuksas and by the greenery system comprising three parks: Parco della Cultura (culture park), Parco delle Memorie Industriali (Industrial Memories Park) and Parco della Vettabbia (Vettabbia Park).