L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 Another famous attraction in Milan is the Last Supper, or l'Ultima Cena, one of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces from the late 15th century, which soon became one of the major icono- graphies around the world. This is a mural painting in the refec- tory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The Castello Sforzesco, or Sforza Castle, is a castle that was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, at the time the Duke of Milan, on the remains of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. In 1891–1905, it was e x t e n s i v e l y r e b u i l t b y L u c a Beltrami, and today houses sev- eral of the city's museums and art collections. For those who also want to explore Milan's surrounding area, there are many towns and churches around the city (within 100 kilometers). These little g e m s w i l l t a k e y o u r b r e a t h away. Among the churches we sug- gest to visit: • San Pietro al Monte in the t o w n o f C i v a t e , p r o v i n c e o f L e c c o , a r o u n d 5 4 k m f r o m Milan. • San Miro al Monte in the t o w n o f C a n z o , p r o v i n c e o f C o m o , a r o u n d 6 1 K m f r o m Milan. • San Fidelino on the lake of Mezzola, province of Como, 114 km from Milan. • S a n B e n e d e t t o i n V a l Perlana, province of Como. • San Lucio in Val Cavargna, province of Como, 106 Km from Milan. If you are visiting Milan for Expo 2105, you might want to take advantage of other attrac- tions the city offers its guests. Some of these are well known, others are virtually unknown, and all are worth seeing. Among the classic sites is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which could be considered one of the world's oldest shopping malls. The Galleria is housed w i t h i n a f o u r - s t o r y d o u b l e arcade in central Milan and con- t a i n s a n i m p r e s s i v e c e n t r a l octagonal space topped with a b e a u t i f u l g l a s s d o m e . I t w a s built between 1865 and 1877, and named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. The Galleria connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks: the Duomo and the Teatro della Scala. The Duomo, or Milan Cathedral, is a gothic cathedral d e d i c a t e d t o S t . M a r y o f t h e Nativity. Built over six cen- turies, the Duomo is the fifth largest church in the world and the largest in Italy, and one of the symbols of Milan. Another attraction you can't miss if you are in Milan is the famous Navigli, the old system of canals that interconnected M i l a n m a k i n g i t a n a v i g a b l e city. There were five canals: N a v i g l i o G r a n d e , N a v i g l i o Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio di Paderno, Naviglio di Bereguardo. Today, the canals are mostly derelict, unnavigable, or used for irrigation. However, they are a beautiful site to visit. If you are fans of paintings, y o u s h o u l d n ' t m i s s t h e Pinacoteca di Brera, or Brera Art Gallery, the main public gallery for paintings in Milan, which has one of the most notable col- lections of Italian paintings. Together with the Pinacoteca, y o u c a n v i s i t t h e B r e r a O b s e r v a t o r y a n d t h e O r t o Botanico di Brera, the historical botanic garden located behind the Pinacoteca. A beautiful site to see in Milan: The Naviglio Grande Milan: not only Expo 2015 GIULIA LOUISE STEIGERWALT • San Pietro in Vallate in the t o w n o f C o s i o V a l t e l l i n o , province of Sondrio, 112 km from Milan. • T h e S a n c t u a r y o f t h e Madonna of Cornabusa in the V a l l e I m a g n a , p r o v i n c e o f Bergamo, 72 km from Milan. • Sant'Omobono Terme in V a l l e I m a g n a , p r o v i n c e o f Bergamo, 72 km from Milan. • T h e S a n c t u a r y o f t h e Madonna of the Ceriola, in the province of Brescia. • San Giovanni al Monte of Quarona, province of Vercelli, 105 km from Milan. • S a n L o r e n z o a l l ' A l p e S e c c i o i n V a l C a v a i o n e , province of Vercelli, 126 km from Milan. There are then some unique "borghi", in Italian the word for the ancient villages, which are worth to visit. Among these: Cannero Riviera (Vb), Cannobio (Vb), Cocconato (At), Fobello (Vc), Vogona (Vb), and in the region of Liguria, Sassello (Sv). The Sforza Castle built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan

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