Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Grey Lagoon
), but also ventures widely throughout Italian painting—Antonio
Pollaiuolo's
Portrait of a Young Woman
is often likened to the
Mona Lisa
—and into
the Flemish school. It was amassed by 19th-century collector Giacomo Poldi-
Pezzoli, who donated his town house and its treasures to the city in 1881.
CD-ROM terminals let you explore bits of the collections not currently on dis-
play, especially arms and armor, the best of which is housed in an elaborate
pietra
serena
room designed by Pomodoro. Pick up a free audioguide in English at the
ticket desk.
Milan's renowned opera house,
Teatro alla Scala
(Piazza della Scala;
%
02-
72003744 or 02-860775 for the box office; www.teatroallascala.org; Metro:
Duomo or Montenapoleone),
was built in the late 18th century on the site of a
church of the same name. La Scala is hallowed ground to lovers of Giuseppe Verdi
(who was the house composer for decades), Maria Callas, Arturo Toscanini (con-
ductor for much of the 20th c.), and legions of other composers and singers who
have hit the high notes of fame in the world's most revered opera house. La Scala
emerged from a multiyear restoration on December 7, 2005—the traditional gala
opening night—and between opera, ballet, and orchestral performances, the the-
ater now maintains a year-round schedule. Treat yourself to an evening perform-
ance; the cheap seats start at just
55
10.
With restoration now complete, the
Museo Teatrale alla Scala
(
%
02-
88792473;
€
5; daily 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm; Metro: Duomo or
Montenapoleone)
has also moved back into its permanent home just to the left of
the main entrance. The operatic nostalgia includes such mementos as Toscanini's
batons, a strand of Mozart's hair, a fine array of Callas postcards, original Verdi
scores, a whole mess of historic gramophones and record players, and costumes
designed by some of Milan's top fashion gurus and worn by the likes of Callas and
Rudolf Nureyev on La Scala's stage.
Sights between the Duomo &
The Last Supper
The collection of the
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
€
(Piazza Pio XI, 2;
%
02-
806921; www.ambrosiana.it;
€
7.50; Tues-Sun 10am-5:30pm; Metro: Cordusio or
Duomo)
focuses on
treasures from the 15th through the 17th centuries:
An
Adoration
by Titian, Raphael's cartoon for his
School of Athens
in the Vatican,
Botticelli's
Madonna and Angels,
Caravaggio's
Basket of Fruit
(his only still life), and
other stunning works hang in a series of intimate rooms. Notable (or infamous)
among the paintings is
Portrait of a Musician,
attributed to Leonardo da Vinci but,
according to many scholars, of dubious provenance; if it is indeed a da Vinci, the
haunting painting is the only portrait of his to hang in an Italian museum. The
adjoining Biblioteca Ambrosiana, open to scholars only except for special exhibi-
tions, houses a wealth of Renaissance
literaria,
including the letters of Lucrezia
Borgia and a strand of her hair. The most notable holdings, though, are da Vinci's
Codice Atlantico,
1,750 drawings and jottings the master did between 1478 and
1519. These and the library's other volumes, including a rich collection of medieval
manuscripts, are frequently put on view to the public; at these times, an admission
fee of
55
10 allows entrance to both the library and the art gallery.
Though it's been clumsily restored many times, most recently at the end of the
19th century, the fortresslike
Castello Sforzesco
€
(Piazza Castello;
%
02-
88463700; www.milanocastello.it;
€
3; Tues-Sun 9am-5:30pm; Metro: Cairoli,
Cadorna, or Lanza)
continues to evoke Milan's two most powerful medieval and
55
