Extraordinary
Milan

Unicorns really do exist, and in Milan there is proof. Don't you believe it? In the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero there is a fresco depicting Noah's ark and, among the painted animals, there is also a pair of unicorns. Defined by many as the "Sistine Chapel of Milan", the Church of San Maurizio remains off the usual itineraries and often happens to visit it almost by accident. Instead it has walls with many paintings and precious stuccoes.

Opened in 2011, WOW is a pleasant and relaxing place that welcomes artists, editors, enthusiasts and simply curious who intend to deepen their knowledge of the Ninth Art, comics! It is located in a building that has its roots in the history of the city: in the Porta Vittoria area, built in 1926 as a tram depot area, it then became part of the Motta factory in the 1960s. After the plant was decommissioned, the building was recovered and transformed into a multifunctional space of cultural interest. Today Wow is spread over two floors: on the ground floor, the large Metropolis Room offers a specialized library and tables for reading with free access, and hosts meetings, events, and shows with free access. Upstairs, temporary paid exhibitions are organized. There is also a modern café, a bookshop and is adjacent to a beautiful park with a skating area.

If you find yourself visiting Santa Maria delle Grazie with its refectory, which houses Leonardo's famous fresco depicting the Last Supper (the Cenacolo), also pass by Casa degli Atellani. Behind this elegant 15th century residence, there is one of the wonders of secret Milan: the vineyard that Leonardo received as a gift from Ludovico il Moro. This place was so dear to the artist that Leonardo even mentioned it in his will. Recently, Leonardo's Vineyard has been restored to its former glory and is without a doubt a must-see for all fans of Leonardo's genius.

Even before escape rooms existed, Milan already boasted a signature labyrinth. In the basement of the former Riva-Calzoni building in via Solari 35, Pomodoro's Labyrinth is one of the most secret and fascinating places in Milan. 170 square meters of interconnected rooms in which to get lost and find yourself. Inspired by the Epic of Gilgamesh, the first epic poem in history. The place can be visited upon reservation.

It is the Milan office that the fashion house has dedicated to culture, which in a few years has become an international reference point, where everything talks about art. It was founded in 2015 in the area of ​​the former Società Italiana Spiriti distillery, an industrial complex dating back to the early 1900s. With a built area as large as three football fields, it boasts a very rich and interdisciplinary exhibition program, from architecture, to science, to philosophy, to cinema. The symbol of the campus is the former silo, the golden building at the entrance to the complex, which gives color and symbolizes the wealth of this little-known part of the city. Among the curiosities not to be missed, 3 extraordinary works by maestro Lucio Fontana, exhibited inside the restaurant, the Torre lift, covered in backlit pink onyx, and the Luce bar, a real design exercise by Wes Anderson.

Arriving in Piazza Borromeo you will find the homonymous palace of the Tuscan family. Looking at the entrance door, you will notice something strange for a city like Milan: in fact, a camel in a basket is depicted in the decoration on the spire of the arch above the door. But what is a camel with an ostrich crown and plume and feathers doing in Milan? It is part of the Borromeo family coat of arms, and symbolizes obedience, patience and loyalty. Camel aside, in the palace you will find the art collection of the Borromeos and one of the most elegant private courtyards of Milan; on the court of honor, which has porticoes on three sides and inside the palace, you will find scenes of courtly life depicted: the frescoes of the "Borromeo Games", dating back to about 1450.

There are only 16 copies in the world and the only one in Europe is located in Milan. But what is it all about? If you pass in front of number 35 of via Poerio, near Porta Venezia, you will feel like you are in the streets of Amsterdam: here stands out the Casa 770 or Casa del Rabbino. Obviously Dutch, it is one of the 16 replicas of the house of Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchok Schneerson, fleeing from Nazi Germany, who had an identical house built in New York, at East Parkway 770 (hence the name). Over time, the New York home became almost a place of worship and a symbol for the Jewish community, so as to be replicated around the world, even arriving in Milan. Other copies identical to this one can be found in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Israel, Canada and Brazil.

A church like this, we are sure you have never seen. If you are not afraid of bones and skulls (as the name of the site already suggests) this church is worth a visit (or at least a look). This is one of the most surprising and at the same time disturbing places in Milan The walls of this chapel are totally covered with real human skulls and bones, which here go to depict gloomy and rich ornaments and decorate it completely. The view is impressive, and it seems to be inside some spooky and macabre house of horrors, with the difference that it's all real... Certainly a place not for the faint of heart, but if you have some courage it's worth a visit!

Landed in Milan in July 2021, and based on a format already present in 30 cities around the world, the Museum of Illusions amazes and amuses young and old. In via Settembrini 11, a stone's throw from the Central Station, the museum offers over 70 attractions, and is a brilliant and fun reminder of how "our beliefs about the perceived world are often nothing more than a specter of illusions". And so, in Ames' room, thanks to the perspective alteration, you will be a giant in one corner and a Lilliputian in the opposite corner, in the rotated room you can play incredible poses and take the perfect shot to share on social networks, in the Vortex Tunnel you will have the feeling of losing your balance, while walking along a walkway that is actually perfectly stable and still! Here nothing is as it seems: let yourself be carried away in this great sleight of hand where the mind gets confused and the imagination flies!

All right: you're in Milan and you can't miss the obligatory stop at the Duomo? Then we will reveal some secrets that revolve around the Cathedral, so you can see it with 'different' eyes. Inside the Duomo there is in fact an ancient elevator dating back to 1600, which is activated only twice a year (on May 3rd and 6th) for the Rite of Nivola and preserves a Nail of the Crucifixion. Did you know, then, that above the Cathedral's central doorway is the statue that inspired New York's Statue of Liberty? Look up and see for yourself! Last but not least secret of the Cathedral: here there was a great episcopal complex, formed by the baptisteries of Santo Stefano and San Giovanni alle Fonti (where Saint Ambrose baptized Saint Augustine in 387 A.D.) and by the three basilicas vetus, minor, nova; these wonders were found during the maintenance works of the sewers in 1870 and during the construction of an air-raid shelter in 1943.