Here's City Sightseeing Milan to discover the Italian Capital of Fashion & Design. Not only Red Bus Service, but also Museum Tickets & One Day Tours. (2024)

The Duomo of Milan is in the eyes of all the undisputed symbol of this modern city. What not everyone knows is that this church also boasts a rather curious primacy. It is in fact the building with the largest number of statues in the world! Think that the Duomo has 3500 statues and 135 gargoyles! The statues are placed on all sides of the church and even on the roof, where, among spires and terraces, you can find the statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, that of Mussolini up to the iconic golden Madonnina that stands out and dominates the whole city of Milan. On the façade of the cathedral instead there are many gargoyles, almost demonic figures who had the task of removing evil and enemies from Christian churches. Always on the façade of the cathedral, at a closer look, it is possible to identify what seems to all intents and purposes the New York Statue of Liberty. However, there is a detail to underline: that of the Duomo was in fact built in 1810, so about seventy years before the overseas one! Think that for this reason some critics have even gone so far as to talk about plagiarism!

Anyone who visits the city of Milan will not be able to leave it without first stocking up on some good luck. Where? Inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Once you reach it, just locate the most crowded point to find out what we are talking about! Not far from the center of the Gallery, in fact, you will find on the ground a mosaic with a coat of arms representing a bull. Here, an ancient Milanese tradition wants that, by resting the left foot on the genitals of the bull and rotating three times on oneself, one is able to attract a little good luck! Because of this ancient custom, the mosaic is constantly worn out and must be continuously subjected to restoration; nevertheless, no one, including the Milanese, give up this inevitable opportunity to attract a little luck to themselves, and if you are nearby, the ritual is almost mandatory!

The Panettone or 'El Panetun' in Milanese dialect, is a traditional dessert belonging to the city of Milan but now known and exported all over the world. Do you know that leavened round shaped cake with candied fruit and raisins that stands out on the tables of Italians on Christmas Day? That's the Panettone! The history of this dessert, just like that of many other culinary specialties, is very ambiguous and disputed. In particular, in Milan there are many pastry shops that compete for the invention of this traditional Christmas cake and its origins are still a taboo subject in the city. One thing is certain, however: it was undoubtedly the talented Angelo Motta, during the 20s of 1900, to give Panettone the revolutionary form with which it still appears on our tables today. Motta was always the creator of his first mass production and the one who began to export the fame of Panettone even outside the city walls. On one thing, however, there are no doubts: today the Panettone is the Christmas cake par excellence ... the king of the table dressed up for the party!