An elegant atmosphere fills Milan City Centre, where glorious Gothic architecture stands alongside luxurious shopping malls and lush gardens. Many of Milan's most visited attractions are located here and is a natural starting point for any tourist exploring the city. Historically, Milan City Centre was defined as the area enclosed by the original medieval city wall. However, that definition has been widened to encompass everything within the newer 16th century Spanish Walls.
Although the protective walls have almost completely disappeared, Milan City Centre remains the historic heart of the city. Everything centres on Piazza Duomo, which is fringed by three icons that reflect Milan's past and present, including the 19th century shopping arcade Galleria, the Gothic Duomo Cathedral, and the Royal Palace of Milan. There are various central districts to explore, as antique stores and captivating shops fill Brera, Da Vinci's The Last Supper is found in Corso Magenta, and Castello has an assortment of notable museums. Visitors will be pleased to find the canals of Ticinese are a great place for drinking an espresso on a terrace.
The old city walls have been replaced by a busy ring road, which marks out the boundary for the Milan congestion charge. Taking a vehicle into Milan City Centre is expensive, and parking is almost non-existent. However, public transport is excellent and there are many tram lines, plus a series of metro lines crisscrossing through the area. Milan City Centre is surprisingly compact, and most visitors will find that it's comfortable to walk around, especially given the splendour of the architecture. Sublime archways welcome visitors to Milano Centrale Station, one of Italy's largest and finest railway stations, and a hub for long-distance services across the continent.
While Milan has a history dating back to 400BC, the city really prospered during the Middle Ages, when the medieval walls were built to protect its status as a city-state. Various families battled for power of the city and now have their story expertly narrated in the museum of the Royal Palace of Milan.