Milan is the second largest city in Italy and also financially the most powerful. this incredibly lively and vibrant city has eight universities and the largest student population in Italy. However, these statistics do not in any way mean that there is a dearth of cultural heritage in Milan. In fact, Milan has some of the churches older than those of Rome. One such church is the church of the Saint Mary of the Graces which contains Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting.

Santa Maria delle Grazie or Saint Mary of the Graces is a church and Dominican convent standing in Milan. This happens to be a landmark of Milan and also takes pride in being included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites list. The church is famous for being home to the mural of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, which is in the refectory of the convent.

Earlier the site had a small chapel dedicated to St. Mary of the Graces. Later, on the orders of Duke of Milan Francesco I Sforza, a Dominican convent and a church was built on its place as per the designs of Guiniforte Solari. When the construction was completed, the new duke Ludovico Sforza decided to have the church as the Sforza family burial place and rebuild the cloister and the apse which were completed after 1490.

Though there is no concrete evidence, yet the apse of the church is believed to be by Donato Bramante. In 1543, the Holy Crown chapel received a painting by Titian, The Crowning with Thorns. This was carried away by French troops in 1797, after their conquest of Milan.

During World War II, the night of 15 August 1943, bombs dropped by British and American planes hit the church and the convent. Much of the refectory was destroyed. However, because the wall holding work of the Last Supper had been sand-bagged for protection, it survived.

Sporting 135 spires and 3200 statues, Milan’s Duomo takes pride in being the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. The roof of the cathedral offers spectacular view over Milan along with the exotic close up view of the spires and statues. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), the cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola.

The interior of the cathedral includes numerous monuments and artworks. These include:

• The Archbishop Alberto da Intimiano’s sarcophagus, which is overlooked by a Crucifix in copper laminae (a replica).
• The sarcophagi of the archbishops Ottone Visconti and Giovanni Visconti, created by a Campionese master in the 14th century.
• The sarcophagus of Marco Carelli, who donated 35,000 ducati to accelerate the construction of the cathedral.
• The three magnificent altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini.
• The monument to Gian Giacomo Medici di Marignano, called “Medeghino”, by Leone Leoni, and the adjacent Renaissance marble altar, decorated with gilt bronze statues.
• In front of the former mausoleum is the most renowned work of art of the cathedral, the St. Bartholomew statue by Marco D’Agrate.
• The transepts house the Trivulzio Candelabrum, which is in two pieces. The base (attributed to Nicolas of Verdun, 12th century), characterized by a fantastic ensemble of vines, vegetables and imaginary animals; and the stem, of the mid-16th century.
• A small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails reputedly from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed. The Holy Nail is retrieved and exposed to the public every year, during a celebration known as the Rite of the Nivola.
• The 5-manual, 225-rank pipe-organ, built jointly by the Tamburini and Mascioni Italian organ building firms on Mussolini’s command, is currently the largest organ in all of Italy

The city of Milan abounds in greenery inspite of being a throbbing industrial region. Every region of the city has some green space for the city to take pride in, be it Parco Nord Milano in the North, or Parco Agricolo Sud in the South, the unique Parco delle Cave (Sand pit park) in the west and heading east, the Parco Forlanini with a beautiful lake and a few preserved shacks. Here are some of the best parks and gardens of Milan:

Parco Solari
This small public park stands in the south-western quarters of inner Milan and features a covered swimming pool, designed by the architect Arrigo Arrighetti in 1963. The park also has free Wi-Fi Internet access for the young and modern ones and a library for the old and traditional visitors. It abounds in a variety of trees like maple trees, cedars, magnolias, oaks and elm trees.

Parco delle Basiliche
Located in the southern inner city of Milan, the park has two prominent basilicas of Sant Eustorgio and San Lorenzo next to it. This is a comparatively new park which was used until 1840, for public hangings of condemned commoners.

Parco Ravizza
Standing in the South of Milan, the park was named after Alessandra Ravizza. This 35 square metres large Parco Ravizza was planned on the initially agricultural land. Where nowadays trees such as maples, elms, oaks and platens grow once the Camporicco shack stood.

Parco ex Trotter
Parco ex Trotter was once a horse racing ground and as such, it still holds the marks of the horse racing under the tree-lined alley and is also very comfortable for cycling, walking and jogging. A school for children with tuberculosis called Casa del Sole (House of the Sun) is also to be found on the park’s premises. Events and performances are held in the adjacent theatre Teatro nel Trotter (Theatre in Trotter).

The Public Gardens
The Public Gardens stands in the heart of Milan and takes pride in its well-manicured garden facilities. This was the first designated communal park in Milan and also has an old villa and museum on the gardens’ premises. The garden reflects Milanese art through the numerous magnificent sculptures, designed by many celebrity citizens of Milan.